AOATS: The Johto Chronicles
by Kosaten no Kokinatsuyosa
Summary: Sal, a young psychic, isn't your average Trainer, and she finds that the story of her life is marked by tragedy and Psychic type Pokemon, especially Mewtwo. What will befall her as she begins her journey? DISCONTINUED
1. Prologue

**The Adventures of Ace Trainer Sal: The Johto Chronicles**

Prologue

"Monster! Get away from me! Get away!" A glass sitting on the table was hurled through empty space, and a terrified scream tore through the small house nestled among the green hills of Littleroot Town in response. The glass shattered against the doorframe, sending splinters of crystal into the air. A Pokémon cried out, and the glass froze in midair before dropping to the hardwood floor.

"Daddy?" A little girl - barely seven years old- inched her way out from behind the doorframe, her violet eyes wide. An Attack Forme Deoxys stepped in front of the white haired child, the teal and gold tentacles on its right side forming an arm and a hand that it placed in front of the girl, holding her back. "Asterisk, what is it? What's wrong?"

"You!" The blonde haired man who had thrown the glass said, staggering slightly. His breath smelled of alcohol and there was some of it on the teal shirt and gold leather jacket that he wore. He was blind to the girl's presence; he had eyes only for the strangely hued Deoxys in front of him. "This is all you fault! I should have left you for the scientists in Mossdeep when I had the chance! It's your fault she's like this!" The man roared, and the Deoxys opened its vertical mouth and hissed, revealing a bladelike violet tongue and razor sharp teeth.

"No? What do you mean, no?" the child asked the Pokémon. "Why is Daddy angry with you, Asterisk?"

"You've infected her!" the man continued, angrily, and the Deoxys shook its head violently.

"I don't understand but… he says he can't Daddy, that the virus doesn't do things like that." the girl said, moving past the Pokémon, who cried out again in alarm. A blue light surrounded her, stopping her movement. "It's okay Asterisk, its just Daddy. He wouldn't hurt me." Asterisk released his hold on her and the child made her way to her father.

The man stumbled back from the girl, and made his way to a locked cabinet, fumbling with the lock before reaching inside, never taking his terrified eyes off the girl. "I'm sorry I have to do this Sal, but it has to be like this, it's the only way to stop what he's done, it has to stop with you."

"What are you talking about Daddy?" the child asked him.

"Stay right there," the man said as the girl made to come to him. "You're really sick sweetie, Asterisk has made you real sick, and there's only one way to make you better."

The girl looked back at the Pokémon. "Don't be silly Asterisk, Daddy wouldn't lie to me." She looked to her father. "I'm not sick Daddy, I feel fine. But we can wait for Mommy to get back from the store-"

"No, I have to help you now - we can't wait for anybody, otherwise other people would get sick too." The man's voice was slurred and his hands were behind his back, out of the child's view. There was a loud click. The screen door creaked as it opened, and there was the sound of someone fumbling at the lock.

"Cyto? A little help here, please?" A platinum blonde haired woman came into the house, her back to the scene before her as she fumbled with the door and the grocery bags in her arm. The man moved suddenly, and the Deoxys cried out, causing the woman to turn around.

The child's mother screamed, groceries falling to the floor as Cyto aimed a handgun at the child, firing a single shot - in a flash of white light, Asterisk had moved into the bullet's path using Extremespeed. "Cyto!" The woman rushed at him - the man continued to fire at the Deoxys, until the Pokémon fell to the ground, the violet sphere in his chest glowingly dimly. The gun clattered to the floor as Cyto turned and ran. Dark purple blood pooled onto the hardwood, and some had splattered onto the white wall.

"Asterisk! " the child screamed, and threw her tiny arms around one of the Pokémon's now limp tentacles, the dark blood staining her clean white sundress. She shoved against the Deoxys' side, but the Pokémon failed to move. Her mother scooped her up into her arms and carried her daughter away from the terrible scene. In moments, she was on the phone with law enforcement, and was so engrossed with her conversation that she failed to notice the Deoxys rise up and come behind her.

As she hung up the phone, it tapped her on the shoulder with a teal tendril. The woman gasped as the blood-covered but otherwise unhurt Pokémon stood before her for a moment before drifting out the door. "Asterisk! " Sal shouted, and the child ran after the Pokémon. "Asterisk! " The girl cried out as the Deoxys rocketed into the air, and her mother came, throwing her arms around her child as Sal's eyes glowed bright blue. "Don't go!" the child cried, but the Pokémon was gone.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Twelve Years Later

Sal sat on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands, her pale hair hanging loosely behind her. Despite the warm weather, she was dressed in white jeans and a violet turtleneck.

Her choice of clothing had always earned her odd stares from people, but Sal hadn't worn anything that wasn't long sleeves and jeans since she was ten, when the slightest touch of a fellow human being began to cause her pain. She had discovered that as long as someone didn't touch her skin, it was bearable, so now she always wore long sleeves and jeans to protect herself from unwanted contact. She tried to get lighter clothing whenever she could find it, but New Bark Town wasn't exactly the shopping capital of Johto, and Sal normally counted herself lucky if she could find any long-sleeved shirts or light jackets at all.

She moaned in exasperation, flopping down on a bed with a mattress that was far too old. Every year since she had turned ten, she had begged her mother to allow her to receive a Trainer's License and her first Pokémon, and her mother's answer was always the same "No" as this year. Her mother seemed dead-set against her becoming a Pokémon Trainer for reasons Sal just couldn't understand. So what if her Dad - who had left them twelve years ago - had been a Pokémon Trainer? So he had gone crazy, became terrified of psychics and especially of her, so what? What, she wondered, did that have to do with her becoming a Trainer? Did her mother think that she too would be driven to madness by the experience?

"You can't even interact with kids your own age," her mother had said last year. "You can't even tolerate being around any more than ten people without burying your head in your hands and whimpering because you say it hurts. How can I feel safe letting you go all over Johto, to places with hundreds of people? What would you do if you were in a city and went into overload - if you collapsed because you were feeling the emotions of so many people that your brain couldn't process it all? There would be no one to help you."

"My Pokémon could help me," Sal had said. "Trainers with psychic powers, like some of the Gym Leaders - Sabrina of Saffron City in Kanto, Tate and her sister Liza in Mossdeep, in Hoenn, Will of the Johto Elite Four, they're all psychics, and they have Psychic-type Pokémon," she had pointed out. "And I'm not the only person out there with psychic powers; Professor Elm said that there are plenty of other registered Trainers who have psychic powers too."

"Not powers like you."

"But Sabrina-"

"I don't want to hear it anymore; I said no, and that's that, enough with this Pokémon Trainer business!"

Shaking the old memories from her head, Sal allowed herself to fall back onto the bed. If only she had a Poké Ball, she would just leave. She was sure that she'd be able to befriend and then capture a Pokémon easily enough. Getting a license wouldn't be hard–she'd only have to show her new Pokémon to Nurse Joy in Cherrygrove City, the next town over, and she'd have a license.

However, where would she get an empty Poké Ball? Maybe she could get Professor Elm to give her one. He was really the only person in town who seemed to understand her situation, and he had tried to talk to Sal's mother on the girl's behalf, but the results had been disastrous, to say the least.

"Sal?" Her mother's voice floated up from downstairs, and Sal groaned as she got up, grabbing a pair of black cotton gloves that were lying on her dresser, and pulled them on as she came down to the living room.

Her mom was sitting in a chair watching TV. "Professor Elm called. He said he had something he needed your help with." Sal focused on her mother's aura, noting how the the pale green outline's flame-like flickering had died down compared to earlier.

"Okay. I'd better go then," Sal said. Her mother sighed heavily, letting Sal know in her own way that she wasn't finished speaking. "You spend all your time in that Pokémon Lab of his. You really ought to find something to occupy yourself with, make some friends your own age."

_Meaning something that doesn't involve Pokémon. _Sal thought bitterly. "Everybody my own age is either off on their journey or married." She wrinkled her nose.

"So why don't you find a nice boy, settle down? What about that friend of yours? Ethan?" her mom said.

Sal gave her mother a revolted look. "Mom, he's 13." Not to mention his aura was orange, the polar opposite of her own lilac hue. It was a miracle that they even got along.

"Oh come on now, I'm six years younger than your father, age is just a number," her mother said dismissively.

"That's sick," Sal responded, trying to push the disturbing mental image away. "I so do not want to think about him like that."

"Then who else, there are plenty of nice boys…"

"Who have all gone off to be Pokémon Trainers, like normal people," Sal reminded her mother. "There is nobody here Mom - everybody in town thinks I'm a freak - everybody except for the Elms."

"I hate to say it like this sweetie, but you aren't normal; just look at yourself," her mother said. "Don't you dare give me that look," she said as Sal's expression became dark subconsciously. "You have to cover yourself just so you can function in society without grimacing like a pained Gastly whenever someone so much as brushes up against you."

"I'd better go see what Professor Elm wants," Sal said, breaking off the conversation and grabbing her purple backpack from where it was lying on the empty chair beside her. " See ya." Her eyes glowed bright blue and she vanished in a flash of white light.

"Don't you dare teleport away from me, young lady!" her mother said, but the psychic was already long gone.

A few milliseconds later, Sal materialized in front of a medium-sized two-story building. She could have simply teleported inside, but teleporting always startled non-psychics. Attached to the side of the white building's left side was a staircase that led upstairs to the Elm family's home. Sal glanced at the familiar sign on her right before moving towards the door. As she grasped the smooth metal handle, something prickled against her psychic senses – someone was nearby.

Closing her eyes, Sal could sense the nearby person's aura – crimson, obscured by a dark, wispy shroud of negativity. Sal shuddered as her eyes fluttered open. It had been a while sensed she had sensed a person like that. She followed her sixth sense to where a young man – dressed in midnight blue pants with red trim and a matching jacket - stood watching through the window. His red hair was long for a guy; it came to his shoulders and was slightly wavy.

"So this is the Elm Pokémon Lab…" she heard him mutter. His sharp gaze suddenly turned on her as she drew closer. "What're you looking at?" He shouted angrily, shoving her away.

_Damn, rude much!_ Sal thought, wincing from the sudden angry flare of the man's emotions more than his actions. She turned away and went into the lab, not paying the man another thought.

"Professor!" Sal called. Professor Elm, a man in his mid-thirties with grey-flecked, dirty blonde hair, spun away from his desk in his chair to face her, his white lab coat flowing with the movement. His bright blue aura danced cheerfully at the sight of her. "You wanted me?"

"Ah, Sal, yes." Professor Elm got to his feet and cleared his throat. "I have an acquaintance that people call Mr. Pokémon. He keeps finding weird things and raving about his discoveries. Well I just got an email from him today saying that he's found something really important, and I was wondering if you could go investigate for me."

"Okay!" Sal said, eager to get away from New Bark Town, if only for a little while. "Did he say what it was?"

"No, and it's probably nothing really; Mr. Pokémon has a tendency to over-exaggerate." Elm said with a sheepish grin. "I'm really too busy with my research to go look, though… Oh and that reminds me!" The Professor went over to a small wooden table, where three Poké Balls were sitting on its surface. "I'd like you to take one of these Pokémon."

"But Professor, you've heard my mom," Sal said. "There's no way she'd let me have a Pokémon."

"But you'll need one to get to Mr. Pokémon's house; it's a mile outside of Cherrygrove City." Professor Elm said. "I'll call your Mom and explain, go on upstairs first and see Janet, she has something for you."

"Okay," Sal said, doubtful that her mother would let her go. She was curious as to what Janet, Professor Elm's wife might have for her though, so she headed to the door in back that lead to a staircase like the one outside. She went up to where she found Lyra, the Professor's youngest child and Mrs. Elm waiting for her.

"Hi, Sal!" Lyra greeted her, the girl's bright yellow aura still flecked with the white of innocence. "Ethan's not here, sorry."

"Oh, Sal honey, this is for you," Mrs. Elm said, handing her a plain white box with a lilac ribbon. The woman's aquamarine aura danced excitedly, making the psychic all the more curious. Sal opened it carefully and gasped at its contents.

"A PokéGear! But this is a comm. device for Trainers-"

"Look underneath!" the seven-year-old Lyra squealed excitedly.

"A trainer's card!" Sal gasped in amazement. "Oh, I see. This is a conspiracy!" She grinned, and after attaching the cord that came with it, looped the device around her neck like a necklace.

"So you can be a Trainer like Ethan now!" Lyra said, still very excited.

"But my Mom…" Sal began worriedly.

"Don't worry, she's just being a nervous parent, psychic daughter or not," Janet said. "I was a nervous wreck three years ago when Ethan left for his Pokémon journey, but you can't stop someone from fulfilling their dreams."

Just then, Professor Elm stomped up the stairs and came into the room. " Sal, your Mom has agreed to let you go on a errand to see Mr. Pokémon for me, so you can come down to the Lab and make your choice."

"But what about her being a Trainer, Dad? Huh?" Lyra asked.

"I'm afraid we'll have to take things slowly Lyra, but once Sal's mother sees that Sal really can go into the world and journey out on her own like anyone else, then I'm sure that we can convince her to let Sal become a Trainer."

"If she won't listen, then I'll just have to go on my own and prove it to her," Sal said firmly.

"Now Sal, if you go on your journey it's important that you get your parent's blessing," Professor Elm said sternly. "Running off, even with a Pokémon, wouldn't help, you mother would only worry more."

"I will if I have to, " Sal muttered as she followed Professor Elm back down the stairs.

"Now Sal, which Pokémon would you like?" Professor Elm asked her as she stood in front of the table.

"Totodile," Sal said, choosing the center Poké Ball. Ever since she was ten, she had watched others select their first Pokémon from Professor Elm's table, so as far as this part of the process was concerned, she knew what to expect.

"I have one more favor to ask you, Sal, " the Professor said as she came over to him. "I'm doing a lot of research on the relationships that develop between people and Pokémon, and I'd like you to take that Totodile -or any other Pokémon you find you really like- and let it walk along beside you to see if it brings about any special bonds or connections between the two of you. With you being a psychic, I think you're more qualified to handle something like that than most other Trainers."

"Ok," Sal said, and tossed the Poké Ball lightly. It bounced as it hit the floor, and the Pokémon was released in a flash of white light, as the Ball snapped back lightly into Sal's palm. She clipped the device to the strap on her bag as the Pokémon turned to face her.

"Totodile!" the Pokémon greeted her. The small blue crocodilian creature had bright red eyes and several bright red spikes down its back. The creature's aura was a screaming bright yellow. Sal smiled, optimistic about her new partner's apparently cheery and playful personality.

Totodile were small, but tough, and Sal knew that water types were hard to come by, so she had decided to pick Totodile in order to solve this problem.

Sal focused on its' mind, wanting to be able to understand whatever it happened to say. This Pokémon was going to be her partner, so Sal wanted to use her telepathic powers to insure that she could understand her new friend.

"Hi, my name's Sal," she said to the Pokémon, both physically and mentally, wanting to ensure that her new Pokémon could understand her. Most Pokémon could understand humans just fine, but Sal wanted to be on the safe side.

It - or rather, he - Sal mentally corrected herself; she could sense from the Pokémon's mind that he was male, came up to her, and Sal offered him her gloved hand. He sniffed it briefly, and regarded her with one eye, tilting his head at different angles.

"Sal," the Pokémon said in his own tongue, and Sal knew that to Professor Elm and other normal people, they simply heard a syllable of Totodile's name, and Sal was vaguely aware of the physical sound, but she was too absorbed in the information her powers were giving her brain to really notice. "Let's play chase!" he said suddenly, and whirled away from her, and out the door, half-running, half-dancing on his short stubbly legs as he ran out the door.

"Hey wait! You can't just take off!" Sal shouted as she ran after the Pokémon. "Totodile!"

"Have fun and good luck!" Professor Elm shouted after her. " I'll call you if I need you!"

Sal chased the little Pokémon all the way to Route 29. For being so small and having such short underdeveloped limbs, the Totodile was extremely quick, and Sal was soon breathless.

"This is fun, but you're so slow for something with such long legs," Totodile remarked. He danced his strange jumping dance again, kicking his feet in the air, as he came behind her. Sal's hair blew in the wind and upon spotting the movement, the Totodile snapped at her hair, catching a good chunk of it in his mouth.

"Owww, hey, Totodile! Let go!" Sal tried to turn around and with a bit of difficulty, managed to get into a twisted position where she could see both her hair and the Pokémon who had latched onto her. He ignored her protests regardless of whether they were telepathic or spoken, and a distant, glazed look had come over him.

An hour later found Sal in Cherrygrove City, which was really a town more than a city, in Sal's opinion. She was hot, thirsty and irritated, and her Totodile still clung to the end of her white mane like an unwanted scaly hair extension.

An old man was standing out on the road, and as she approached, her laughed heartily, and Sal eyed his orange aura nervously. "Looks like you have quite a problem, there young Trainer!" he said.

"Please tell me you know a way to get him off of me," Sal moaned. "This really isn't funny."

"Unfortunately, there's only one way you're gonna get that Totodile to let go of you without cutting your hair," the old man said. "Now a reptile Pokémon like that, you might get him off by tempting 'im with some food in a couple 'o days, when he gets hungry, but that's not exactly reasonable. No, I'm afraid the only way you're gonna get him off is by bendin' his tail backwards." The man shook his head. "It's not the nicest way, but it'll do the trick."

Sal did as the old man instructed, and Totodile let go with a raspy cry. He gave Sal the dirtiest look she had ever seen before turning his back to her.

"Well if you'd just listen to me, I wouldn't have had to do that, " Sal said to him. "Thanks for the help, Mister."

"Ha, no problem! They call me the Guide Gent around here. You're a rookie Trainer, I can tell," he said.

Sweat formed on Sal's brow. _Was it that obvious?_ She frowned.

"That's okay, everyone is a rookie at some point," the man continued. "I was a real hotshot Trainer back in my day, but now I just help the rookies like you along. C'mon, and I'll show you a thing or two. Try and keep up!" He turned away from her, and headed down the street with surprising speed. Sal went after him, forgetting about her Totodile for the moment. The little Pokémon chanced a backwards glance, hoping to see Sal there beside him, but Sal had run off to follow the old man. Little did Sal know that her Pokémon hadn't snapped at her out of malice, but out of pure instinct, as a Totodile will bite anything that moves. The little blue Pokémon was even more annoyed with the human girl than before, and he trudged up behind her more out of duty than because he actually wanted to.

"Now, the Pokémon Centers are hospitals for Pokémon, and rest houses for Trainers. There's one in every town, and a Nurse Joy runs all of them. You'll be relying on them a lot, trust me," the old man was saying.

"I've heard trainers who've come home say that sometimes it's just all about getting to that next Pokémon Center," Sal said, and the Guide nodded, remembering his own years as a Trainer. He pointed out the Mart where Sal could get Trainer supplies, and a few other landmarks, such as the wide ocean, and Route 30, where Mr. Pokémon's house was, before coming around to a small grey house.

"And this is my house!" he said with a chuckle. "Hang on a moment, Sal, right? I've got something I'd like you to have." The man left for a few moments, then returned with a shoebox and a thin item sandwiched in plastic packaging that Sal couldn't make out. "I bought my granddaughter these Running Shoes for Christmas last year, but she already had a pair, and I just never got around to returning them. I'd like to give them to you, as thanks for keeping an old coot of a Trainer like me company today," he said, offering her the box.

Sal saw that the shoes happened to be in her size, and she subconsciously glanced at the worn out shoes she was currently wearing. _Honestly, they look like they should be thrown away,_ Sal thought, now very conscious of her footwear. She didn't want to be rude, and she really did need the shoes. "Okay, thank you," she said, taking the box from him and opening it to look. "Hey they're purple!"

The guide laughed at her excitement. "Go ahead, put them on," he said, and Sal sat on the curb to do so. Totodile grabbed one of her old sneakers as Sal set it aside and tore it to pieces while the humans weren't paying attention. He was over halfway through the second when Sal caught him.

"Hey, Totodile, what gives?!" She slapped at her face in frustration. "Why do you have to do this to me?"

"Some young Totodile are just silly that way - they bite everything, " the Guide said. "Don't worry, he'll grow out of it by the time he evolves, just be patient. Here, take this map card for your PokéGear too. A Trainer always has to have a map, even if you never use it, don't ever forget that!"

Sal slid the tiny card into the correct slot in her PokéGear, and tapped one of the buttons, checking to make sure the map card worked. Satisfied, she bid the Guide Gent farewell, and left Cherrygrove City, heading up the road to find Mr. Pokémon's house.

After a few minutes of walking, Sal came to a small red house near a large lake. _This must be the place_ she thought. She came up to the door and knocked, and a voice called her in.

"Oh, a visitor!" the dark haired man who had called her inside exclaimed. His aura was a strange orange-yellow shade that kept flickering to green. Sal watched the shifting aura carefully, highly disturbed as it flickered between both colors. " I haven't had a visitor in so long...you did come to visit me, right? Because everyone keeps saying that they meant to visit Mr. Pokémon instead, his house is up the road, y'know," the man rambled.

"Uhhh, well-" Sal began, not knowing what to say.

"Here, take this Apricorn Box anyway, so you can go out and be a fabulous Apricorn collector like me!" he said, giving her a small collapsible basket that Sal quickly put into her bag. She wondered when she was ever going to need such a thing.

"Okay… thanks, I think… I've gotta go, so see ya!" She bolted from the house, and her Totodile shot ahead of her, taking off through the forest. "Totodile! Stay with me!"

"C'mon slow human," the Totodile chattered to her, as she finally caught up to him after he finally stopped running. "That guy who gave you the basket was weird," he commented, and was then distracted by a group of Sentret that came running by them through the tall grass. "I wanna play too!" He was off after them in a flash, despite Sal's protests.

"Well, we both thought that guy was strange," Sal said to the empty air. "That's something right?" She got up to chase after her wayward Pokémon.

Sal was absolutely exhausted by the time she got to what she hoped was Mr. Pokémon's house, thanks to her Totodile, whose energy seemed limitless. She knocked on the door, and as a tenor voice called her inside, Sal felt ready to drop. She desperately hoped that she had the right house this time, and noticed that she could sense at least two people inside. Sal crossed her fingers that there was only the two; she didn't think her frayed nerves- magnified by her psychic senses- could handle a crowd.

To Sal's relief, it was just two old men, both of them with calm, blue-colored auras, and she relaxed. The first man wore a dark brown suit and a top hat lined with salmon velvet, and the other wore a lab coat with brown slacks, much like Professor Elm. Sal realized that the man in the lab coat was the world famous Professor Oak of Kanto. Sal loved to listen to his radio program, and the man was considered an expert on all things Pokémon-related. Most impressive was his development of the PokéDex, an electronic device that served as a handheld Pokémon encyclopedia for Pokémon Trainers.

"Sal, yes? I've been expecting you," the other man in the brown suit said, as he and Professor Oak arose from the wooden table they had been sitting at. The whole house was neatly furnished in rather plain beige and light brown tones that matched the hardwood floor, and a pale green floor rug broke up the monotony of the living space.. It was a typical Johto house - an open kitchen that connected to the living room, with a hallway that presumably lead to at least one bedroom and bathroom. Overall, it really wasn't much different than her home in New Bark Town.

"You're Mr. Pokémon?" Sal asked him, not wanting any more mix-ups on her part.

"Indeed I am," the man replied. He headed for a large, glass cabinet in the back of the room, and removed an object from it, proffering it delicately to Sal. "This is what I want Professor Elm to examine."

Sal stared at what the man had placed carefully into her open hands. It was a large egg, about a foot tall and maybe a foot and a half in diameter. The light reflected off its' white surface, and it was covered in blue and red open triangles.

"That egg is a lot tougher than it looks," Mr. Pokémon said. It'll be fine if you carry it in your bag."

"Phew, good thing too, it's pretty heavy," Sal remarked. Totodile stared at the egg for a few moments, and sniffed it briefly before Sal put it into her bag. "What do you think it is, Totodile?" Sal asked him.

"You don't know!" the Pokémon said, shaking his little head. "Humans really are such strange, silly, clueless creatures," he muttered. Sal didn't respond. The fact that she could understand what Pokémon said to her wasn't something that she liked to advertise. She figured they'd probably lock her up in a lab somewhere.

"You and your Pokémon booth look like you could use some lunch," Mr. Pokémon said. "Here, come and join us; I've made sandwiches."

Sal graciously accepted his offer, and the three humans sat around the table while Totodile sat on the table beside Sal after protesting about being put in the empty chair beside his Trainer.

"Ah, so you must be that young Trainer I've heard about!" Professor Oak said. "From what I've heard, Professor Elm has taken a liking to you."

"Now Professor, surely you aren't implying playing favorites with all the Trainers you and your colleagues send off on their journeys each year," Mr. Pokémon chuckled.

"Now you know good and well that we do," Oak said. "I'm telling you, what young Ash Ketchum has accomplished in the time that he's been a Trainer is astounding! The things I've seen over my lifetime are nothing compared to the wonders that boy has observed!"

"Ah, but don't let that grandson Gary of yours hear you talking like that," Mr. Pokémon said, and the two men chuckled. "Although Blue is now the leader of the Viridian Gym in Kanto, isn't he?"

"Well, Gary has proved to be quite the excellent researcher; he has found numerous discoveries for me. As for Blue, yes, he took over after Giovanni was ah, removed." The Professor frowned slightly at the mention of Giovanni's name, and Sal shuddered. The man had been exposed as the leader of the notorious Team Rocket, a terrorist group that wanted to dominate the world using Pokémon as their tools. When Giovanni's operation had been uncovered, chaos ensued because no one had expected the head of the Rockets to be one of the Gym Leaders, one of the people whose duties were fundamental to the success of so many Pokémon Trainers. It made Sal ill just thinking about it. "Oh, I'm sorry Sal, I didn't mean to leave you out of the conversation!" Oak said, and Sal sensed embarrassment flush across the man's aura.

"That's okay; Giovanni's not exactly my favorite person to talk about." Her features twisted into a snarl of annoyance as she growled, " Boy would I just love to punch him right in the face just once."

"I'm afraid you'll have to get in line with all the others who've expressed similar sentiments ever since he disappeared," Oak said. "I'm amazed that the police haven't found him yet," he mused. "But enough of that. I've heard a great deal about you from my good friend Professor Elm, and I believe he'd want you to have this. It's the newest version of the PokéDex."

"Whoa, really!" Sal gasped, taking the slim red and black device in her hands. It was about the same size as a large wallet, and Sal slid it open, flipping the display screen up and adjusting it. A standard keyboard filled the bottom of the screen, and Sal found that there was a second keyboard that extended out from the side. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Firstly, that extra keyboard is for entering programming code, so you can just leave that retracted," he said. "That isn't the ordinary PokéDex I give out to Trainers, mind you. It's a special prototype that I've been working on, filled with special data on some extremely rare Pokémon. The Pokémon League which governs and organizes all Pokémon related events and research is hesitant to acknowledge to the public that many of those Pokémon even exist, that's what I came to discuss with Mr. Pokémon today."

"You mean like the Legendary Pokémon?" Sal asked, her voice nearly a whisper. Oak nodded.

Legendary Pokémon were Pokémon so rare and powerful that many claimed they were just stories, but Sal had heard reports that more and more people were beginning to see some of these Pokémon described in legend.

"Are you sure you want to give this to me? If it's filled with information on legendary Pokémon, then shouldn't someone keep it someplace safe?" Sal asked.

"Yes, perhaps, but I have many backup copies, so I'm not concerned about the data itself," Oak said. "You know of the eruption of the volcano that happened near Cinnabar Island, correct?" When Sal nodded, he continued. "Well, another Pokémon Trainer, Red, found some very interesting documents in the Pokémon Mansion that used to be there before the volcano erupted. Based on those documents, as well as an incident that occurred in the Viridian Gym several years ago when Gary attempted to win the Earth Badge from Giovanni in an official gym battle, and a few other reports, I'm almost positive that there is another legendary Pokémon out there somewhere, one that has very close ties with Mew."

"With Mew?" Mew was said to be the strongest of the legendary Pokémon, and legends said that all Pokémon could trace their ancestry back to it. Sal had heard that Oak had been studying Mew for years without much progress, and it sounded as if he was finally about to have a breakthrough.

"I believe he'd like you to keep that PokéDex... just in case," Mr. Pokémon said.

"Professor, there's no way that a legendary Pokémon is gonna take any kind of an interest in me, I mean, I'm nobody special," Sal said, but she pocketed the PokéDex anyways. She looked at the clock and realized that it was getting late, with dark and foreboding thunderheads darkening the brilliant sunset into a gray dusk. She would have to hurry if she wanted to get back home at a reasonable hour. Professor Oak also had to leave for Kanto, and so they all said their goodbyes.

No sooner had Sal stepped out the front door than her PokéGear began to ring. Grabbing it, Sal realized that the hour wasn't as late as she had initially thought. Thunder rumbled ominously from the large, dark clouds overhead.

"Hello?" Sal answered after tapping the call button.

"Sal?" Professor Elm's voice came over the line, sounding panicked. "Oh, this is awful, I don't know what on earth we're going to do!"

"Professor, what happened? Is everyone ok?" Sal had never heard Elm so distressed before, and she wished right then that her powers were strong enough to get her back to the lab right now, but it was too far away.

"I have to go, but please get back here now!" the line crackled and went dead as Sal called out to the professor, but he was gone.

"Totodile, c'mon, we've gotta get back to the lab!" Sal said, and began to run back the way they had come, hoping that the egg in her bag really was as strong as Mr. Pokémon claimed.

"First she wants me to not run, now she wants me to run, this human really isn't that fun anymore," Totodile muttered to himself, trudging along as slowly as he could. This earned another cry of urgency from Sal, and Totodile quickened his pace only slightly as the rain began to drizzle down.

Sal tore through Cinnawood like a Zubat out of hell, but the sight of someone one the road startled her. A familiar dark red aura caught her attention, and Sal realized that it was the same boy she had seen earlier outside Elm's lab.

"Huh, so you got a Pokémon from the lab. What a waste. "

"What do you care? If you wanna battle fine, but I don't have time for it now, I need to get back to the lab," Sal growled. Totodile seemed completely disinterested in what was going on between the humans and was loafing around in the puddles that were forming on the ground.

"You're not going anywhere." The rain began to pour harder and the stranger shoved her up against a small sapling. Cursing as Sal struggled, he tied her to the sturdy young tree with a piece of rope.

_Who the hell does this guy think he is! _Sal was seriously pissed off now, and as the stranger began to walk away her eyes flared blue with psychic energy. The sapling and the rope seemed to explode, torn to shreds by her powers in an instant, and the boy turned around in surprise. Sal extended her hand, and the boy's Trainer card shot from his pocket.

"Give it back."

"Make me…Damien." She smirked as the boy growled, not liking the fact that she now knew his name at all.

"You think you can do anything with some freaky powers?" he scoffed. "See what your pathetic excuse for a Totodile does against this!" The boy threw a Poké Ball against the ground right in front of the oblivious Totodile. The blue creature complained to her Trainer, but Sal wasn't listening, her eyes glued to the white light that erupted from the Poké Ball, fully expecting it to be a powerful Pokémon. Ampharos was a likely choice; Sal knew many tough Trainers like this guy favored them.

"Chikor-ri?" The small, pale green Pokémon opened its bright red eyes, it's green aura pulsating softly.

Sal doubled over laughing, wondering why in the world she had even been worried at all. This guy was no hotshot; he was just a rookie like her, a rude asshole yeah, but still a rookie.

"Oh, yeah, you're such a badass, 'cuz you've got a Chikorita," she laughed. They were Grass-types; and popular with girls. Her grin grew broader at the realization that the cutesy-sounding Pokémon was actually male. Sal figured if you were gonna get a Chikorita and planned on evolving it past Bayleef, you might as well get a female, because oftentimes males would flat out refuse to evolve. Male Meganium bore the same petal-like fringe about their necks as females, and were teased by humans and Pokémon alike.

"Who cares, it's a Grass-type, and it'll beat the crap out of your dumb Totodile!" Damien said angrily.

"Whatever man, just go give your sister back her Pokémon," Sal laughed. "So you think you're all-that because of a type advantage, whatever. Totodile, hit that Chikorita with Scratch," Sal commanded, but Totodile didn't rush over to make his attack. Sal turned around, and found that while they were talking, Totodile had decided to take a nap.

"Told ya it was a waste. " Damien crossed his arms smugly. "Looks like you haven't trained that Pokémon at all either. Chikorita, Vine Whip!" A pair of slender vines extended from the ring of bud-like protrusions on the green Pokémon's neck to slap Totodile hard.

_Crap, a Grass-type attack already!_ Sal now instantly regretted rushing to Mr. Pokémon's house instead of training her own Pokémon a little along the way. "Totodile Scratch!" Sal commanded, but Totodile was still sleeping. "Totodile!"

"Finish it! Tackle!" Damien commanded, but Totodile's eyes snapped open, and he dodged out of the way. Sal breathed a sigh of relief as Totodile did his strange jumping dance.

"Leer!" Sal commanded, but Totodile had other ideas, running over to the Chikorita and clawing at his face.

"I said Leer, dammit," Sal growled under her breath.

"Vine Whip!"

Sal winced in sympathy as the slender vines slammed down on Totodile for a final blow, and he collapsed. The fight was over, and Sal had lost.

She absentmindedly handed over half of her money as the prize for the win, as per the Trainer's Code, and did nothing as Damien walked away with his cash and Trainer's Card. Not wanting to anyone in New Bark Town to know about her defeat, she quickly took her fainted Totodile to the Pokémon Center and reclaimed him from the clutches of the kind but fiery Nurse Joy as soon as he was awake.

"That girl's going to get herself in trouble if she doesn't calm down and have some patience," Nurse Joy said to one of the Chansey that served as her assistants. "That Totodile seems like he's at the end of his rope."

_Totodile have very short fuses,_ Chansey thought to herself. _They aren't really good Pokémon for beginners because of that,_ she decided. Chansey thought that her opinion was most likely biased, as she was only a Pokémon, not a human, but little did she know that she was actually spot-on.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sal ran into Professor Elm's lab, having stopped along the way only to destroy Totodile's bandages that were the only testament to her failure. If anyone here, especially her mom, saw that she'd lost a battle, they might make her stay home, and she'd never be able to follow her dream.

As Sal came through the door of the Lab she found a distressed-looking Elm speaking to a burly policeman. One of the windows was broken, and glass littered the floor, Sal also noticed that one of the Poké Balls that had been on the table was now missing.

"We've collected all the evidence, and we'll begin our investigation. We'll call you if we have any questions," a police officer was saying to the Professor.

"What happened here?" Sal asked.

"A Chikorita was stolen from the lab by a boy with red hair," the officer said.

"I battled a Trainer like that! That Damien guy! He was hanging around the lab this morning!" Sal exclaimed, and quickly gave the officer a full description.

"We'll continue our investigation and hopefully bring him to justice," the officer said, and then left.

"Oh, I hope his all turns out all right," the Professor said. "Oh, yes, what was Mr. Pokémon's big discovery?" he asked, and Sal wordlessly presented him with the egg. "Could this be a Pokémon Egg?" The Professor exclaimed. He was suddenly very animated. "If it is, it's a fabulous discovery! I'll have to begin my research immediately."

"Professor Oak was there too. He gave me this!" Sal said, showing him the PokéDex.

"A PokéDex! Professor Oak is brilliant at seeing the potential of people as Trainers! At least something positive is happening today. Now if I were you, I'd head for Violet City first thing in the morning, the first Johto league Gym is there."

"What about Mom?" Sal asked. Professor Elm winced.

"Things with her didn't go a well as I'd hoped," he said hesitantly.

"I'm still going, I won't let anybody stop me." Sal said. The Professor sighed.

"You should still go and talk to her before you leave," he said. Sal didn't like it, but she knew he was right.

"Mom?" Sal called hesitantly as she entered the house. She found her mother at the kitchen table, staring at a photograph Sal had never seen before.

It was a crowded group picture of Sal's parents and a full team of six Pokémon. Sal recognized the Pokémon to her father's right, a Blaziken named Ra. Sal couldn't remember the names of any of the other Pokémon in the picture, but she could identify the species. Absol, Milotic, Craydilly, Zangoose… Sal hesitated on the last Pokémon. It was gold and teal, with a crystalline orb in its chest. The Pokémon looked familiar, and Sal had the feeling that she knew it, but she couldn't remember... She shook her head. There was no point in trying to drive herself crazy.

"I suppose I've been wrong all these years," her mother said slowly, her eyes still locked on the photo. "You are your father's child after all, at least the good part of him. I've been letting my fear of him - of the past - hold you back."

"Mom…" Sal didn't know what to say.

"If you really have to go, then I think you should take this. I certainly don't need it, and maybe it'll bring you luck," she said as she got up and began rummaging through a drawer. She came over to her daughter and gave her a Poké Ball.

The Ball wasn't any ordinary Poké Ball, nor was it one of the higher performance Balls such as the Great Ball or Ultra Ball. It's top half was a dark purple, with a pink spot on the left and right side, and the bottom a solid silver. The Ball looked as if it had been cleaned recently, but the silver scratches and nicks showed that it was old.

"This Master Ball belonged to your father," she said. "He never used it ; he carried it with him like a good luck charm. It's the ultimate Poké Ball ; it'll catch any Pokémon without fail."

"How come he never used it?" Sal asked, observing the thin residual wisps of her father's red aura on the surface of the Ball.

"He said he was saving it for something special. I don't really know what he meant, but I think you should take it. Think carefully before you use it, if you do," she said.

Sal nodded and put it away in the front pocket of her bag.

"Now get going!" she said. "Before I change my mind - you've got a long walk ahead of you."

Sal picked up Totodile, who immediately began to squirm and protest. "I don't need to walk," Sal said her eyes flaring blue. She and Totodile promptly vanished in a flash of light, leaving her mother staring at the space where Sal had been only moments before.

Sal screamed as she fell through empty air, landing with a thud in the middle of a dense forest. Suddenly a wave of nausea hit her and she doubled over, rolling onto the ground as the side effects of teleporting such a far distance hit her. Sal decided right then and there that she was done teleporting, for good. She didn't even know where she was now, and it took her a few minutes before she confident the world had stopped spinning. The rain had stopped, but the air still smelled of it, and everything was wet. She picked herself up gingerly and looked about her. She was standing in front of the red house, and sure enough, to her left, was the road that she wanted, winding deeper into the forest. Sal breathed a sigh of relief that she had made it safely. Teleporting was always a risk, and sometimes one didn't always end up where they wanted to be. But where was Totodile? Sal scanned the area, searching with both her mind and her physical senses. She spotted him sitting on a rock in the center of the lake. Sal walked over to the water's edge and held a hand out to him.

"C'mon, Totodile, let's go," Sal said, but the Pokémon shook his head stubbornly.

"I'm staying here."

"Oh, no you're not, you're my Pokémon, you're coming with me, " Sal said, equally stubborn.

"No," The Pokémon said flatly. "So I can have my tail bent and be told where to go and what to do, no thank you. Forget the Agreement," he said, and Sal gasped in shock. Had she really been that bad? Sal had talked to enough people and Pokémon to know that he was referring to the agreement set down long ago by people and Pokémon that said that Pokémon would obey those humans who captured them. Of course, that was only part of the Agreement, but Totodile was apparently deciding to defy all of it.

Sal growled in annoyance, shaking her head. The only thing that she could honesty see might have been a bad idea was bending his tail back, but she hadn't know what else to do. _I won't be able to reason with him when his like this though,_ she thought. There was only one thing she could do for now.

"Remember, you asked for it." She grabbed Totodile's Poké Ball from the clip it was attached to on her bag strap, pointing it at him. "Totodile return!" she commanded. A red light emanated from the white button in the center of the Ball, but Totodile dodged the light, leaping into the water. "Totodile!" Sal shouted.

Totodile exploded from the water right in front of her and fired a Water Gun attack at the offending Poké Ball. Sal lost her grip, and the pair watched as the Poké Ball slammed against a sharp rock near an oak tree. Sal ran over and picked up the Poké Ball, then dropped it as she saw the massive cracks along its surface. The Ball was broken.

"Freedom!" Totodile cried, exuberant, and backflipped into the lake again.

Sal stood by the lake for over an hour, occasionally leaning out over the water's edge, but Totodile did not return. She finally left the bank to try to find somewhere to camp for the night, but all she found was forest and more forest. She was getting hungry, but didn't dare stop. And the sky was getting dark. When she was just about ready to give up and just collapse and curl up where she stood, Sal saw a glimmering light in the distance. Violet City! She'd made it! Sal ran for it, passing through the city gates and heading for the Pokémon Center's trademark orange roof, panting hard by the time she finally found it. She pulled on the door, but it failed to budge, and the lights were out. Closed. Thunder rumbled and as Sal sat on the pavement in front of the dark building, it began to rain again.

"Just when I thought it couldn't get worse," Sal moaned. "What kinda Pokémon Trainer am I? I couldn't even make friends with my own Pokémon. Maybe Mom was right about me before. Maybe I'm just not cut out to be a Trainer."

"Hey!" A voice shouted over the storm. Sal looked up to see a dark haired guy wearing an old-school white and red Pokémon League hat. He had blue jeans and an unbuttoned navy blue shirt that rippled in the strong wind, with another black shirt underneath. His aura was an electric blue, the color of pure psychic energy itself. Sal was certain that it was nothing like a normal blue aura, for the edges of it were constantly changing in hue. To her surprise, Sal found that she couldn't tell what this strange person was like. She had never seen a human with an aura like this. The guy wasn't exactly a psychic, but there was definitely something strange about him.

"C'mon!" the boy's Pikachu called to her, and Sal got to her feet and came over to them. "The Ruins of Alph aren't far from here, we can get out of the rain there," the boy said.

The Ruins of Alph was a series of ancient buildings south of Violet City, and many people came from all over to examine them, especially scientists. The bottom floors of the Ruins were open to the public and Sal had heard that there were some kinds of puzzles there that the scientists were now encouraging people to solve. Sal had read an article online that talked about connections between the Ruins and Legendary Pokémon. Did that have something to do with why Professor Oak gave her that PokéDex? Did he want her to try to solve the mystery of the Ruins?

"Sounds good to me. I'm Sal Zarrisia," she said, offering him her gloved hand, knowing that even with the gloves, touching him was gonna smart because of whatever energy this guy had. Her skin crawled through the soaked glove, but to her surprise, it didn't hurt. He seemed oblivious to whatever he was doing to her.

"My name's Ash," he told her over the roar of the storm as they made their way to the Ruins. "Ash Ketchum."

A solitary Pokémon regarded them from a nearby rooftop, staring at the oblivious humans below him with the intensity of a laser, the Pokémon's silver-furred form trembling beneath the cape which clung to his bipedal, feline features. Whether it was from the cold or sheer apprehension, Mewtwo couldn't be sure. He had never truly expected to cross paths with the boy again, and yet something in the back of his mind whispered that it was inevitable - their paths had crossed too many times for it to be pure coincidence.

Ash. Had the boy forgotten him? Among humans, there was something profoundly different about him. Ever since that fateful eve on Mt. Quena, Mewtwo had separated himself from the Pokémon clones he had created on New Island, leaving them to live out their lives as normal Pokémon. They could do so quite easily as there were others of their kind. But he was destined to be alone.

And so, Mewtwo had found himself traveling through city after city, even to places as distant as Castelia City in Unova. Now he found himself in Violet, a city filled with people, many of them Pokémon Trainers. Mewtwo had watched the humans for quite some time - always by moonlight, in secrecy - seeking to understand why companionship seemed to come so easily to other Pokémon. Was it because Trainers owned some of them? No, he had watched friendships, even love come to other wild Pokémon as well as the clones he had protected on Mt. Quena. He was still seeking answers to the same questions.

The psychic also found Ash's companion interesting. He could sense her power and was wary, not because she posed any threat - she was an insect compared to him, but her abilities were wild, held together by only a thin thread of control. That thread could snap in a single careless moment, plummeting her into madness, into a whirlwind of psychic destruction so powerful it was nearly an addiction for the user. Mewtwo knew this for a fact- he had nearly committed himself to such madness during his first few minutes of consciousness on New Island. If this girl's power was left unmonitored, she could become a danger to those around her.

Mewtwo's tail snaked behind him as he stepped to the roof's edge, debating involvement. They were headed to the Ruins, he realized. There was something there; Mewtwo had sensed it ever since he had first came to this city. Something slept in those ruins, but despite his curiosity, he was hesitant to approach anything so powerful as the sleeping presence he sensed emanated from that ancient place. Ash and the girl were obviously planning to go there, but he wondered still if the boy remembered him. Mewtwo decided to test the waters.

-_The Ruins… that place calls to me._ - He watched the boy's eyes widen as he stopped for a moment, then frowned slightly, thinking.

"What is it?" the girl asked him.

He watched as Ash scraped at his shoes discretely, the lace untying. "Nothing, just my shoe." Simple, yet effective, Mewtwo observed. He saw the boy's lips form his name as he bowed his head from the girl's view.

-_Ah. So, you have not forgotten me_. - A small smile twitched at the edges of Mewtwo's lips for a moment. It had been a long time since he had found a reason to smile.

"How could I?" the boy mouthed. "And where are you?"

-_Close,_ - he answered. There was still the psychic to worry about, and he didn't want to chance Ash looking in his direction on impulse and alert the girl. His powers were great enough to keep her from detecting him psychically, but she still had her basic senses. He could not will himself invisible.

The wind blew, and rain hit him full in the face as Mewtwo lowered himself to the ground using his powers, the long brown cape he had taken to wearing trailing behind him. He followed the pair, leaping and whirling behind objects, and always out of sight of the girl. Only once did he pause long enough in his elaborate dance of secrecy for Ash and his Pikachu to see him. The boy grinned widely upon seeing that Mewtwo was truly there, but then the Psychic-type Pokémon was gone again, moving up into a tree on the opposite side of the road.

"Hey, aren't you the one supposed to be leading?" the girl complained. "I don't know where we're going."

"Oh, right," Ash said sheepishly, and came ahead of her. Mewtwo shifted his weight, and the branch snapped, causing him to fall ungracefully to the ground, face first behind the bushes.

"Who says cat Pokémon always land on their feet?" Pikachu sniggered, and the girl turned around.

"What cat Pokémon?" she asked.

"I didn't say anything about cat Pokémon," Ash said as they entered the Ruins. Mewtwo knew that like most of the Trainers he had seen, the boy generally got the gist of what his Pokémon said, but the actual words were lost on him. The girl however, was a Pokélinguist, and that Mewtwo found very interesting indeed, as he had only heard of one instance of a human being able to understand Pokémon speech naturally. He knew that there were most likely others, but the gift was unquestionably rare.

"Oh, really? I thought I heard you say something," she said, covering her mistake. They began to pass entrances of the Ruins. "Funny now that we're here the rain is gone."

"At least it's better than the forest," Ash remarked, but the girl shook her head violently.

"Hell no, you've got to be kidding me. This place it's… Okay you know that feeling you get like you're being watched?"

"Yeah…" Mewtwo and Pikachu looked at each other, smirking at the irony. Mewtwo would bet his cape that Ash was thinking about the fact that he was almost right on top of them now, on a ledge on one of the structures in front of them. The girl's back was to the Psychic type and she was oblivious to his presence.

"It's like you're being watched, only a thousand time stronger than that. And I can't help feeling like I need to be quiet… what's down in there?" She indicated an entrance at the bottom of a slope a few feet away.

So, she could sense him and whatever else was in this place, but was attributing the disturbance to the Ruins themselves. The more Mewtwo saw of this human, the more he began to realize that he had underestimated her. But she was untrained, clearly uneducated about her powers, as if she didn't fully understand them.

"Some kind of puzzle thing," Ash said absently.

"Really, I want to try, I like puzzles!" She headed off in the proper direction. "You coming?"

"Naw, I'm going to find a place inside to camp out for the night," he said, heading into the structure Mewtwo had braced himself against. "See ya."

Mewtwo had heard the city's humans talk about the Ruins strange puzzles, but he had only a slight interest in such things. He was mainly focused on what that bizarre presence could be. He concentrated a moment, trying to decide where the power seemed to be coming from, yet seemed to be everywhere.

He gave an audible snarl of annoyance, a subconscious action that he barely noticed. He then realized that there was a slight concentration of psychic energy in one of the hidden chambers. That seemed to be as good of a place to start as any. Mewtwo teleported there, breathing heavily as he arrived. Self-teleportation was not his strong suit as he preferred other methods of travel, but this was the quickest way in.

The room itself was massive, a winding mazelike hallway, the decrepit gray stone walls covered with strange alphabet-esque symbols. Mewtwo walked over to one of the walls and reached out to touch one of the symbols. The back of his neck prickled and a second later his cerebral cord throbbed painfully. Grimacing as he touched the tube-like structure lightly, he glanced up, noticing that the ceiling above him looked odd.

There was a sudden grating noise above him that was followed by a scream, and as Mewtwo looked up he had just enough time for his brain to make sense of what was happening. By the time he had comprehended the situation it was too late for him to react. He had just enough time to identify the object before it hit his hand as he made to raise it to propel it away, and as he sat in an unfamiliar but recognizable darkness, he uttered every single curse word that he knew. Having once associated with one of the most diabolical terrorist organizations in the world, he had picked up a fair amount of strong language. It didn't matter anyway; no one could hear him swear here, which was a good thing, because Mewtwo usually considered the use of such language beneath him. Yet, for all his power, he couldn't get out of this mess on his own. He was royally screwed.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ow," Sal moaned as she sat up, and her hand touched to back of her head reflexively. As she spotted her bag a few feet away, she grabbed it, hoisting the dark violet pack by its single strap onto her shoulder. She turned around, disoriented by the dim lighting the hole in the ceiling provided her. Realizing she wasn't going to get out that way, Sal looked around and spotted the dim outline of a ladder a few feet away. Sal noticed something had moved in the darkness as she had picked up her bag, and Sal picked it up, discovering that it was something made of a heavy cloth. Feeling the object in her hands, she realized it was a cape. She didn't recognize the aura of the cape's owner, but she noticed it was a dark fuchsia. Sal hesitated. Fuchsia wasn't too far from her own lilac aura, but the darker color - as well as the reddish tint - made her anxious. Folding the cape sloppily, she moved towards the ladder she had discovered. As she did so, her foot struck something, and Sal heard rather than saw the spherical object roll across the floor. Sal squinted and recognized the object in the dim light.

"Dad's Master Ball! Shit!" She scrambled after the purple and silver sphere, and as she picked it up, realized that something wasn't right. A blazing fuchsia aura surrounded the Ball, indicating that she had caught a Pokémon. With a start, Sal realized that the aura was a perfect match to the one surrounding the cape in her hands. Most beginning Trainers like her would have been ecstatic at the thought of catching their first Pokémon, but Sal was just ashamed at herself. She had been so stupid, putting the Master Ball in that pocket of her bag like that, and now she had caught a Pokémon who probably didn't even want to be caught at all. To add to this, she realized several things at once as she climbed the ladder and came out of the entrance of the ancient building to stand outside. One, that the Pokémon was a Psychic-type, two that it was absolutely livid, and three that she hadn't even seen what was technically her first capture, and she really had no clue what was inside the Master Ball. The last thought had popped into her head, and she felt guilty about even thinking about anything that had to do with her personal growth as a Trainer.

Sal sighed, looking at the Ball in her hands. A part of her that sounded an awful lot like her mother said that if she threw out that Ball now, she'd have no hope of ever becoming a Pokémon Trainer, and although that voice might be right, the other one in her head reminded her of how bad the situation was for the Pokémon.

She tossed the ball to the ground, expecting to see a Kadabra, or maybe even an Alakazam, but as the white shape of the Pokémon began to solidify, Sal realized that the shape was all wrong. _A Medicham, maybe? No, too tall, way too tall,_ she thought, and her confusion increased as she spotted a fifth limb. A tail? The light faded and Sal looked up at the Pokémon in amazement.

At about six and a half feet tall, the Pokémon towered over her, its expression furious as the being's dark purple tail thrashed about. It's silver body glowed in the bright light of the moon hanging in the night sky. It was obviously very powerful. Sal could sense that its mind was so heavily protected by mental shields that even if she wanted to, she couldn't even touch the Pokémon's mind to learn of its gender. She backed away, until she came up against the wall of the ruins. She decided to speak first; this was all her fault anyway. An idea came into her head, and she decided that it might save her from having this strange Pokémon be angry with her, or it could decide to attack her. As long as it didn't kill her, it wouldn't be breaking the Agreement. She on the other hand had already by capturing it in an inescapable Ball without even formally challenging it.

She gripped her father's Master Ball, his greatest treasure, his good luck charm, and smashed it against the wall. She opened the damaged, but still intact Ball, proving that it was broken, but she knew that the Pokémon would sense its binding connection to the Master Ball snap. The bipedal, catlike Pokémon stared at her with piercing violet eyes, thunderstruck.

"My name is Sal Zarrisia and I'm from New Bark Town. I shouldn't keep you, and frankly I don't deserve anything like you anyways," Sal said shakily. "You have your freedom, and you losing it was my mistake. Go. "

The Pokémon silently gestured for the cape, and Sal handed it over, not looking up at the Pokémon.

-_I am…Mewtwo. You have earned my respect…and my gratitude, which is no easy thing_. - The articulate voice in her mind was low and unmistakably masculine. -_There was only one other human who had earned my respect,_ - he murmured, half to himself. -_Farwell, Sal Zarrisia._ - The psychic Pokémon began to glow and levitate away from her before accelerating up into the air, the blue glow enveloping him. Sal stared up into the night sky and watched him fly across it a few moments later, a streak of electric blue, like a wayward comet that had fallen too far away from the heavens.

She walked down the hill and around the corner to the building where Ash had gone into, and found him just inside the entrance, curled up in a sleeping bag. His Pikachu's lime aura flared as the Pokémon perked his ears up and opened his eyes when Sal slumped against the wall of the ruins. Unlike Ash, she wasn't lucky enough to own a sleeping bag. She fished her jacket out from inside her bag and put it on, shivering as she realized that everything inside her bag was wet.

"Are you okay?" the yellow Pokémon asked. "You don't look like you've slept at all. Did you not solve the puzzle?" He followed Sal's gaze to where Ash was sleeping. "Don't worry about him, he sleeps like a Graveler."

"No," Sal answered finally. "To both questions. I solved that puzzle in the ruins. The answer to the riddle was Kabuto, and the puzzle was just a slide puzzle," Pikachu stared at her, startled that she was actually answering him. "I think most people who figured out the answer just never bothered to do the puzzle because the panels are heavy, I mean they're solid rock." She took a shakily breath, not sure if she should talk about this but knowing that it would drive her crazy if she didn't. "I caught my first Pokémon," she began hesitantly.

"Hey that's awesome! What kind? Will you let them out?"

"I caught him -at least, I think it was a male- with my father's Master Ball, on accident when I fell through a trapdoor, so I had to let him go," she clarified.

"Oh." The Pokémon's trademark ears drooped. "Yeah, the Agreement… what kind of Pokémon was it?" he asked, not sure if Sal would answer.

Sal frowned. "I've looked at Professor Elm's research data, and I've studied a good bit, but I honest don't know what that Pokémon was. I think he was a Psychic-type, for sure, but all I really have is what he called himself."

"What was that?" Pikachu asked, curiously.

"Mewtwo," Sal said, wondering why her voice had dropped to a whisper.

"You caught Mewtwo!" Pikachu exclaimed with a shout. Ash murmured something in his sleep and rolled over. Pikachu lowered his voice to a frantic whisper. "You caught Mewtwo, and you let him go, just like that?"

"I had to, he wouldn'tve been happy with me, I could see it in his aura even before he came out of the Ball, and on his face," Sal said. "I had to."

Pikachu blinked. Being able to see auras was a very rare thing among humans. He wondered if she had other psychic powers, but decided not to ask. Instead, he said quietly, "Not a lot of humans would have done that."

"Unless I get another Pokémon from somewhere, my days as a Trainer are over," Sal said quietly. "With my luck, I should just go home, but I can't make the trip back to New Bark Town without one." She laughed bitterly, then swore as she buried herself into her knees, and allowed her suddenly near-hysterical laughter to dissolve into quiet sobs. "I think the energy in this place is making me mad," she whispered. "There's something here."

While Pikachu had heard some strange sounds that night, and noticed that the walls were covered with pictures of Unknown, like the ones the had seen the first time he and Ash had came to Johto, he was more concerned about the definite human in front of him, rather than the mysteries in this place.

"Ash," the Pokémon hissed at his Trainer, running over to him, "Ash wake up! Don't make me shock you."

"I'm up, I'm up," the boy grumbled and looked at Sal confusedly. "What's going on?"

Wiping away her tears angrily, Sal was forced to retell her story, as well as explain to the both of them about her powers. In turn, Ash explained his prior connection to Mewtwo - how they had met on Mt. Quena, and he had saved Mewtwo from Team Rocket.

"Okay," Ash said. "We can't do anything about Mewtwo, but maybe we can go out into the woods today and find you a Pidgey. Pikachu and I'll catch it, I can just give it to you, and it'll be registered under your name. It wouldn't help you against Falkner, because he uses Flying type Pokémon too, but you'll have a Pokémon then," he said, trying to cheer her up. It worked a little.

"Thanks Ash." She took a small chain out of her pocket, and threaded it in between the hinges of the cracked Master Ball. She tapped the center button accidently as she closed it, and to her surprise, the Ball minimized, now looking like a necklace.

"Hey," Ash said suddenly. "If you caught Mewtwo, see what your PokéDex says. Mine doesn't say anything except that I've seen it, and the only reason I have an entry for him at all was because of something Professor Oak did."

"Professor Oak gave you a weird PokéDex too?" Sal asked. "He did say that it contained legendary Pokémon data, so let's see," she muttered, selecting the search options. After a few minutes, she located Mewtwo's PokéDex entry. Ash came over to her and sat down as the PokéDex ready the entry aloud.

"Mewtwo, the Genetic Pokémon. Height: 6 feet 7 inches. Weight: 269 pounds. Type: Psychic. It usually remains motionless to conserve energy, so that it may unleash its full power in battle." The device fell silent.

"Did you ever tell Professor Oak about Mewtwo?" Sal asked.

"Not at first - Mewtwo didn't want me to say anything - but this guy named Dr. Fuji came to visit Professor Oak." Ash responded. " I don't know what they talked about, the Professor just asked me what I knew about Mewtwo one day, and said that an old friend of his named Dr. Fuji had told him about it. Since Mewtwo hadn't wanted anyone to know about its existence, I figured it was okay to say something at that point, since this Fuji guy seemed to know all about it."

The rain had started again, and Sal jumped when she realized that according to her PokéGear, it was nearly nine in the morning. So much for her getting a few hours of sleep. She helped Ash pack up and the pair decided to head out to Route 31 to catch a Pidgey. As they passed through Violet City however, the weather had darkened, and it looked like another storm was on its way.

"Hey! Mind giving me a hand?" a voice shouted above them. The pair looked up to see the city's Gym Leader, Falkner -a young man with brown eyes and dark blue hair- up high in a tree, a terrified Ratatta in his arms. The Flying Pokémon specialist jumped down. "We need to get these Pokémon into Dark Cave, the smaller ones can't handle a big storm like this one again, look at what the first one has done!"

Ash and Sal looked around and realized that Falkner was right. Rocks and debris littered the path that was usually maintained by the Pokémon Ranger service. Not only was the route now a danger to humans, but also many Pokémon homes were now destroyed. They had to do something.

"My Pokémon and I will get the wild Pokémon that are trapped up in the trees, you two get them to Dark Cave where they'll be safe, it's about half a quarter-mile from here, through those trees." He pointed in the cave's general direction.

"Okay," the pair said in unison, and Falkner handed the Ratatta to Sal.

Sal ran to the cave as fast as she could, forgetting all about her other plans. "There you go, Ratatta, stay close to the entrance, and don't go in too deep," she warned. "I don't know what else is in here."

The Pokémon gave a quick "Rattat!" of confirmation before Sal spun around and was gone again.

"See how they help us, Mewtwo," the Ratatta said. It turned as the other Pokémon stepped forward, his form partly obscured by the shadows.

-_I have been watching Mew_, - the psychic sighed. -_But watching and understanding are different things._ -

The Ratatta was enveloped in a white light, and its form changed, until a different Pokémon floated near the entrance of the cave. Mew blinked her sapphire blue eyes, eyes that only held a deep sense of wisdom only if one looked at them long enough to see past the Pokémon's generally carefree nature. She giggled into her hands. "Of course they are, silly. The answer is right in front of you - you see it all the time you know," she laughed. The cave reverberated with the sound of her high piping voice.

-_If you know the answer then tell me! Why must you always speak to me in riddles and subterfuge?_ - The transgenic cried, frustrated. A Shadow Ball formed in his hand.

"Oh, but you would never believe me if I told you, so I'm just going to have to point you in the direction of your answers," Mew said. She spun a few circles around her larger counterpart. "But that is to be expected. You are all power and destruction, while I am grace and tranquility. Masculine to counter feminine, new to ancient, logic to passion..."

-_Two sides of the same coin, yes, yes, you have told me before. Evil to purity..._ -

"No!" Mew said, her voice suddenly sharp. "Who has said that?"

-_The others. -_

"The three birds? You are higher than they in the hierarchy, do not let their words of discontent cloud your opinion of yourself."

-_I am not supposed to be **in** the hierarchy, is that not the whole point of their discontent?_ - Mewtwo snapped bitterly. -_Show me how to find what I am looking for._ -

"But what are you looking for?" Mew giggled. "You've been looking for only a short time and already you aren't sure anymore, I can tell. But, if you really want to know..." She floated over to him and placed a tiny tri-fingered pointy paw on his head. Suddenly, Mewtwo realized something was wrong. He felt all of his power drain away from him, and he stood there, frozen by Mew. She pulled away and he collapsed, before rising up angrily. He tried to summon up a Psychic, but only managed a Confusion that didn't even reach Mew. She transformed into him, and countered with a Disable, leaving him without a way to attack her.

"Seek out the human," she said.

-_What human?_ - Mewtwo asked, his tone still angry as he tried to disguise the unsettling aspect of Mew having transformed in to a mirror image of himself and using the male Mew voice that he instinctively knew he had yet never used. -_Why have you stripped me of my power? Undo what you have done at once!_ -

"Or what, you'll fight me?" Mew answered. "The experience will teach you some humility. As for what human, it doesn't matter to me, but you'll need to find someone. You won't get yourself back to your proper strength on your own." She returned to her true from and teleported away, and Mewtwo sank back into the shadows as Sal approached. He hated to admit it, but Mewtwo remembered his younger days with Giovanni well enough to know that Mew was right.

Sal ran back and forth across the route to the forest and the cave for hours, occasionally passing Ash. She and Ash came over the hill to meet up with Falkner, as a fourth trainer came over from the direction of the city.

"Falkner! We have trouble at the Gym! We need help!" he shouted.

"You two stay here and do what you can, I'll be back soon." The blue haired young man said, and ran off with the junior Trainer.

An hour passed and Falkner hadn't returned. "Ash, I'm going after Falkner! He might be in trouble," Sal called.

"Okay!" Ash called back, completely forgetting that she didn't even have a Pokémon to help her if there was trouble.

Sal ran nonstop to the Violet City Pokémon Gym, and put on an extra burst of speed when she saw an orange glow through the wet and damp of the storm. Lighting flashed across the sky, and Sal gasped as she turned the corner. The Gym was on fire! The fire department hadn't arrived yet, and Sal realized that Falkner could be trapped inside.

The psychic charged into the roaring flames, cloaking herself with a weak psychic energy field to avoid being burned. "Falkner!" she yelled, choking on the smoke. Getting no response, she headed deeper into the crumbling gym, calling for the Leader. She finally found him trapped under a fallen support beam, and lifted it using her powers. Dizziness and nausea gripped her, and Sal realized she had overexerted herself. She summoned the last of her energy to throw the heavy beam to one side so that it wouldn't fall on Falkner before she collapsed. At the sound of groaning wood, Sal looked up blearily, realizing that she had destroyed another support beam by throwing the other one into it. She knew that she had to move, but her mental and physical exhaustion seemed to be hitting her all at once. She heard Falkner coughing, and tried to call out to him, but she could barely breathe. She tried to call out to him telepathically, but she couldn't form the words in her mind. The beam crashed against another fallen one that got in its way, and Sal tried to crawl away from both of them, but she couldn't get over the one that she had previously moved and was now in her way. She was choking, fighting to stay conscious, and it occurred to her that Falkner had probably been in the same position, only the beam that had been on top of him hadn't been nearly as large as the two that were now hurtling towards her.

A pair of hands suddenly gripped her biceps like a pair of vices, hauling her roughly forward. Her rescuers grip shifted, and one arm wrapped itself around her upper back, the other came under her knees, lifting her, and she felt herself being carried forward, out of the fire. She tried to send a telepathic thank you to her rescuer, but her dizzy weakened mind couldn't confirm that she had said anything.

-_The last thing this city needs is a death. The burning gym is enough publicity,_- A familiar voice said brusquely. -_Thanks to you, I will have to leave this place again. Look at me,_ - the voice commanded, and as Sal did, she realized that it was the Pokémon she had released, Mewtwo, and that he was hypnotizing her, using his powers to force her into a telepathy-induced sleep. It was a common psychic Pokémon trick.

"I don't wanna sleep," Sal tried to complain, but she was too weak to resist, and sank into unconsciousness.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Sal woke up slowly, with a splitting headache. She sat up with a hand on her head.

-_So, you are awake_. - Sal turned in the direction of the psychic sound to find Mewtwo sitting in a chair next to the bed, her Master Ball in his right hand and a screwdriver in his left. -_You could have killed yourself, and others, by charging into a burning building like that, you foolish human. Be grateful I happened to notice you_. -

"Where am I? The hospital?"

-_No,_ - he answered. -_Hospitals are notorious for bringing complicated aftermath, and you are not badly injured. Also, Pokémon are not allowed. The Pokémon Center was a safer option for the both of us_, - he said.

"Wait, so Nurse Joy says I'm okay?" Sal asked, still a little confused.

-_All you needed was a bed, Nurse Joy has more important things to worry about than a human,_ - Mewtwo sniffed. -_I examined you,_ - he said, and Sal's eyes widened.

"You took off my clothes," Sal stammered, her face flushing.

Mewtwo rolled his eyes. -_You humans and your modesty_, - he said, sounding irritated. -_Yes, I removed your various articles of clothing,_ - he said. -_I am sufficiently versed in medicine and acquainted with female human anatomy. I do not fancy you in the least, if that is your concern. Female humans are unappealing to me, I can assure you of that,_- he said looking revolted at the very thought.

"What are you doing with that Master Ball? It was my Dad's… Can I have it back?"

-_Not until I am done with it, -_ he said. He set the screwdriver and Ball down on the nightstand near the bed, and grabbed the pitcher of water along with the glass beside it. -_Here,_ - he said, giving her the cold glass after pouring some water into it. -_Drink slowly._ -

Sal obeyed, noticing that when Mewtwo picked up the Ball and screwdriver to resume his work, the screwdriver was in his right hand and the Master Ball in his left. "You're ambidextrous?" she asked him.

The Pokémon nodded without looking up. -_Just something I taught myself over the years. It is occasionally useful…_- He seemed more focused on what he was doing than her.

Now that Sal could see Mewtwo properly, she noticed that he looked unusually thin. The face was gaunt, the tri-fingered hands a bit too bony, the ribs showing a bit, the arms thin, the tail so thin she could see the vertebrae, and on his feet the long bones of the tarsi were clearly visible. She tried to get her mind off it, not wanting to embarrass him by saying something about it.

"I thought you couldn't fix Poké Balls, that's what everyone says."

-_Because that is what the Pokémon League wants you to think, so they earn more money. A Poké Ball, even a Master Ball, is simply a machine. Machines can be fixed,_ - he said.

"And so how do you know how to fix Master Balls?"

-_Must you ask so many pointless questions? _- The Pokémon's brow furrowed in annoyance as he looked up at her.

"Yes I must, simply because I have them." Sal answered calmly. "Now answer my damn question."

Mewtwo's voice chuckled softly in her mind. -_Now I am a bit more confident that I'm not making the biggest mistake of my life. -_ He tossed the ball a few inches into the air, and faster than Sal could reach out for it, the psychic's tail tip extended over the bed and the purple and silver sphere touched it. The Ball opened and Mewtwo dissolved into pure white energy before being sucked inside.

Sal stared in shock as the Master Ball fell lightly on the bed in front of her, pinging instantly. Although he could have struggled futilely against the power of the Ball, he hadn't. Mewtwo had simply succumbed to the Ball, instantly and willingly. Sal picked it up. The surface was scratched and worn, but unlike the last time she had held Mewtwo in this very same Ball, his aura wasn't angry in the least, just a bit nervous. The Master Ball felt warm in her hands, and when she shifted her grip to a tight throwing one, it just felt right. She got up, set the sphere on the counter and pulled herself off the bed. She stretched and winced, feeling sore and achy but otherwise okay. Noticing she was wearing hospital clothes, she spotted her bag at the foot of the bed, and opened it, pulling out a pair of fresh clothes and pulling them on quickly. A sound attracted her attention and as Sal looked towards its origin, she realized what it was. The Master Ball was vibrating on the table. Apparently, Mewtwo wanted out. Sal knew that Pokémon could get out of their Poké Balls if they wanted to, but she wasn't sure if Master Ball could be broken out of or not. She picked up her bag and grabbed her Master Ball, leaving the room with a surreal feeling.

"Well it's good to see you up and around," Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she spotted Sal headed out the door that lead into the main lobby. She glanced at the ball in Sal's hand. "So it did decide to go with you," she said.

"I guess he wanted to, although I don't really understand why," Sal said. Although using 'it' was appropriate when referring to legendary Pokémon, because their gender was technically unconfirmed, Sal had always preferred whatever gender pronoun felt right to her. She took no offense to anyone that felt differently than her however.

"I did want to mention to you though," Nurse Joy said in a quieter tone, "That although it isn't uncommon for freshly caught Pokémon to be a little malnourished, Mewtwo's condition is rather severe."

"What should I do?" Sal asked, "Do you want him to stay here?"

"I don't think it's quite that bad yet, but it will need special treatment if its condition doesn't improve. Most humanoid Pokémon can eat anything you and I would, but keep an eye on its diet. Lum Berries are always a good choice when feeding sick Pokémon, and I have some in stock, so I'll give you as many as you can manage comfortably, and supplement its diet with those, at least one a day," she said. She motioned Sal to follow her to a medium sized room filled with refrigerators. Pulling several of the large green Lum Berries from one of the fridges, she and Sal filled the pocket of Sal's bag that was meant to hold Berries.

"Thank you," Sal said, closing the now bulging pocket.

"Come with me, and I'll give you a prescription for more Berries that you can refill at any other Pokémon Center," she said. Sal followed her out a small door that she realized lead to the space behind Nurse Joy's desk out in the main lobby. Nurse Joy scribbled on a small piece of salmon colored paper that bore the Pokémon Center logo, before handing it to Sal, and letting her out the small half door beside her. Sal left the Center and stopped for a moment under a tree outside to read the note and the other larger paper that had been stapled to it.

Pokémon Center Location: Violet City

Trainer: Sal Zarrisia ID: 49114

Mewtwo/ PKMN #? Mewtwo, PSY

Rx: One (1) Lum Berry daily after evening meal or as needed. Unlimited Refill

Physician: Joy Connors

Sal turned the paper over and read the other one behind it.

MEDICAL REPORT

Pokémon (Name/Species): Mewtwo/Mewtwo

PokéDex National No.: ?

Sal checked the data in her PokéDex, and noting that it said Mewtwo's national PokéDex Number was 150, she wrote that in, as well as any other info that she found missing.

Primary Type: Psychic

Secondary Type: None

Height (Standard): 6' 7''

Weight (Standard): 269 lbs.

Physiology: Humanoid

Special Notes: Tube-like structure beginning occipital and curving claudad. Structure terminates at the superior medial dorsal. Ultrasound suggests that the structure is a complex cord of nerves surrounded by large blood vessels. The structure may be designed to improve circulation to the brain and/or sensory input.

Height (recorded): 6'7''

Weight (recorded): 120 lbs

Sal stopped, nervous about what she had read. Mewtwo's body weight was less than half of what it ought to be, and the realization worried Sal. She had liked the idea of Mewtwo following along behind her, but given his condition, would he even want to, or would it be too much for him? As she left the Center and came to stop under a shady tree the Ball shook in her hand again, and Sal reluctantly tossed it to the ground softly, catching it as it snapped back up into her hand automatically.

-_It is about time, _- Mewtwo complained -_I was starting to wonder what was taking you so long. _-

"I wasn't sure if you'd be okay with being out," Sal said, hesitantly holding up the papers.

-_Oh… because of those_. - It was a statement.

"Nurse Joy didn't say you were that bad… but she didn't know how much you're supposed to weigh either. I read the PokéDex data. "

-_What PokéDex data?_ - Mewtwo asked sharply. Sal handed over her PokéDex, and Mewtwo examined the device for several minutes. -_The data was added on as an official update from the Oak Pokémon Lab, and this is a PrograDex, a programmer's PokéDex that you do not see very often. Very interesting, this device could be rather entertaining for me._ -

"Professor Oak said his grandson found some documents in Kanto, when he gave me that PokéDex. He said something about an incident in the Viridian Gym too, Sal said as Mewtwo returned the device.

-_Hmm, I did not think that his PokéDex could have gathered enough data back then, but perhaps his was modified, _- Mewtwo mused.

"Wait, you were at the Viridian Gym, why?" Sal asked.

-_That is a long story, and I am not sure if I am ready to tell it yet, _- Mewtwo said. Being a psychic himself, he knew full well that there was no point in attempting to lie. -_But let us simply say that I learned a great deal about battling strategy while I was there._ -

"Okay," the Trainer said, apparently accepting his words for now. "C'mon. No offense, but you're making me hungry just looking at you."

-_I am not offended. Food is hard to come by in Johto, especially for a Pokémon of my size. I simply have not been able to find enough by traveling in cities,_ - he said matter-of-factly.

"I think I can help with that. I got some Lum Berries from Nurse Joy to give you with whatever you eat. Is there anything in particular you like?" she asked him.

Mewtwo blinked, slightly taken aback. -_Fish would be nice, actually. It has been years since I have enjoyed fresh fish,_ - he said, privately thinking of the days when he had lived on New Island in his castle, back when he had been able to acquire such luxuries easily. He had missed having such things. He hoped he didn't appear too eager by the thought.

The girl grinned. "I'm a big fish eater too, so fish it is, the vote is unanimous!" she announced, and they both set out in search of a restaurant.

The pair found a nice seafood restaurant that had a nice view of the water, and the waiter didn't mind serving a Pokémon.

"So, you never answered my question." Sal said as they waited for their food.

-_How I know how to fix Poké Balls?_ - Mewtwo asked, and Sal nodded. -_I did a great deal of experiments on Poké Balls when I was younger._ -

"When you were younger? How old are you?" Sal asked, reflexively checking her PokéDex. Although it wasn't always accurate, a Pokémon's level was usually a good way to get an idea of a Pokémon's age. According to her PokéDex though, Mewtwo was level five, and that definitely didn't look right. Sal frowned at the device.

-_I am biologically nine years old, but my first year of life was spent in stasis, therefore I have only been conscious for eight years_, - he answered.

"Wait, most Pokémon are full grown by their first year of life-"

-_And I am no exception,_ - Mewtwo interrupted. -_I was created by a small group of scientists in Kanto, who did not awaken me until I was physically mature._ - The Pokémon began to guard his mind, knowing that he was only just missing the kind of information about himself that could get the girl into trouble if the wrong person overheard it, or worse, cause her to no longer trust him.

"But wait, if you had all kinds of battling experience before in the Viridian Gym, then why does the PokéDex say you're only level five?" Mewtwo gestured for the device, and stared at it for a few moments before returning it.

-_I honestly do not know. My powers have felt weaker for the past few days, but I am not exactly sure why,_ - the psychic said, knowing that he was lying through his teeth. Even if there was some insane, possible way that this human could help him with his problems with the other Legendary Pokémon, she wasn't ready to be immersed in that kind of talk. The secret dealings of the Legendary Pokémon that quietly kept the Pokémon world in order functioned very much like what the humans called politics, and Mewtwo could barely stand to think of it himself. The last thing he wanted to do was lay such an aspect of his life on her when he hadn't even been her Pokémon for a full twenty-four hours.

Their food arrived and as Sal expected, Mewtwo attacked his food viciously, and finished long before his new Trainer, despite the fact that the meals themselves were huge. Sal ate about half her meal and then silently pushed her plate to her Pokémon - who was trying not to eyeball her food, and failing epically.

"Go ahead," Sal told him as he looked away in embarrassment. "We don't have any way of saving it really," she said.

-_In the Pokémon Center's Trainer Lounge, the refrigerator in the kitchen is stocked with food for Trainers. You could save it there, _- Mewtwo countered, purposely not looking at the plate in front of him.

Sal picked up his fork and placed it on her plate. "Quit acting like you aren't hungry and eat the damn fish, or I'm telling Nurse Joy," she threatened, and at that, Mewtwo gave in and attacked the food with the same voracious appetite that he had before.

When he was finished, Sal paid the bill and they left, heading back to the Pokémon Center, where they would spend the night. Only exceptionally rich trainers ever bought actual hotel rooms. The average Trainer like Sal just spent the night at the Pokémon Center. As long as you were in by ten you could spend the night there, and like all the Center's services it was free, all paid for through donations and the Pokémon League.

- _I knew that we would be back here, so I acquired you a room before we left, _- Mewtwo said, opening the door for her with some difficulty as they made their way inside.

"Phew, cutting it pretty close you two," Nurse Joy remarked as they came in, Sal looked up at the clock.

"Close? We're five minutes over," Sal said, confused.

"And there is no way you and that Mewtwo are going to be sleeping outside, not in its condition and especially not with the weather we've been having these past few days," she said fiercely. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"No Ma'am," Sal said with a grin.

"I didn't think so. The Trainer's Lounge is through that door, your room's 49B, and _you_ are coming with me to intensive care tonight," Nurse Joy said, her tone becoming more aggressive as she addressed Mewtwo.

-_But-_-

"Now Mewtwo, we both know that Nurse Joy knows best," Sal said teasingly, and the other woman smiled.

"You've picked a smart Trainer, make sure you stick with her," Nurse Joy said, as she dragged Mewtwo away through the Center's infamous double doors.

"Good night!" Sal called to her new Pokémon, laughing as she made her way to her own room, through the lounge to the hallways that held the bedrooms in back.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next morning Sal got ready as fast as she could, actually being excited about being a Pokémon Trainer for once. She shouldered her bag and made her way to the kitchen in the lounge, where there were many other Trainers eating breakfast. Sal grabbed some cereal and kept to herself as she ate, finishing quickly and washing her bowl and silverware when she was done. No point in making Nurse Joy and the Chansey work harder than the needed to.

Sal went out into the foyer and looked around. She didn't see Mewtwo or Nurse Joy anywhere, even though the place was packed with Trainers. Suddenly she realized that it must be because of what had happened at the Gym.

"Naw, man, Falkner's fine dude, he was on the news last night he's still takin' challengers even," Sal heard a nearby Trainer say, and she turned toward the voice, finding a guy with spiky dark blue hair, and red eyes. A Quilava peered out anxiously from behind his Trainer's legs, his tiny triangular ears flat against his skull.

"Really?" Sal said to the Trainer, surprised.

"Yeah, I didn't believe it either, but sure enough," the guy said, opening his jacket to show the shiny new Zephyr badge that was pinned there. "Just got it this morning, thanks to Fury here. Yo, chill out Fury, you're cool man," he said to his freaked out Quilava, who had begun to spout flames from its tail and head.

"As cool as Fire types get," Sal said with a grin, and kneeled down to the Quilava. "Easy, Fury, you're okay," she soothed the Fire-type, augmenting her speech with psychic impulses to try to calm him. He relaxed, and the flames he was spouting dissipated. She carefully picked up the delightfully warm Pokémon, and handed him to his Trainer. "I think he really just wants to be held, the fact that there are so many people and Pokémon around that are bigger than him is freaking him out," she said.

"Thanks," he said. "Sorry about that Fury, let's get outta here huh," he said.

"Quiiillllll," the Quilava responded as the Trainer scratched between its ears affectionately.

"Now I'm off to find my Pokémon in this mess," Sal said

"Good luck, it's a madhouse in here," he said.

"Thanks, hey you wanna battle? " Sal asked. She knew she would need some training before battling Falkner, and she figured that she might as well battle him, rather than wild Pokémon.

"Yeah, okay, met me out on Route 31, the name's Mark,"

"Sal," She said offering him a gloved hand, which he took.

"Nice to meetcha."

"Channnsey!"

The Chansey's call attracted both Trainers' attentions, and the girl turned around. The round pink Pokémon presented her with a familiar looking Ball, and Sal took it gratefully.

"Thank you," Sal said.

"You're welcome, I believe he's still sleeping but shaking the Ball a bit will wake him up, although I wouldn't recommend it unless you need to. Cat Pokémon like their sleep," The Chansey told her.

"Okay, looks like we can go now," Mark said, and Sal nodded.

They made their way out of the city and found a clear space where the two of them could battle safely.

Fury moved to a position a few feet in front of his Trainer, and Sal gripped the Ball in her hand, shaking it a bit before throwing it hard and fast. Mewtwo emerged from the Ball in front of the Quilava, who began to spout flames as he dropped to all fours at the sight of the larger Pokémon. Sal opened her PokéDex to check Mewtwo's moves before closing it.

"Fury, Ember!" Mark cried, and the Pokémon obeyed.

"Mewtwo, dodge and counter with Disable!" Sal commanded, and Mewtwo moved to obey, but was unable to avoid the Ember as the thin stream of fire grazed his tail. Hissing physically in pain, Mewtwo's eyes glowed for a moment, and Fury's Ember was rendered unusable.

"Smokescreen, then Quick Attack!" Mark commanded

"Barrier, then Confusion!" Sal countered. Mark's Quilava was putting her on the defensive and Sal didn't like it. As the area filled with black smoke that Quilava spouted from its mouth, Sal hear a loud thump.

"Mewtwo?" she called nervously.

-_He hit the Barrier more than he attacked me_, - Mewtwo said, and Sal sighed with relief. A high pitched squeal came from within the smokescreen and as it cleared, both Trainers saw that Fury was cowering on the ground, it's eyes wide and unfocused.

"Oh great, Confusion… Fury!" Mark shouted his Pokémon's name, but Fury looked dizzy as he turned toward his Trainer. "Ack, he's confused. Fury, Quick Attack!"

The Quilava charged forward, but suddenly veered away from Mewtwo and kept going until it crashed into a tree. Mark buried his head in his hands.

"Now, another Confusion!" Sal said, and Fury ran right by Mewtwo and tripped over a rock, face-planting because of the psychic attack. When he got up and shook himself a bit though, the Quilava's eyes were clear. Mark breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay Fury, go for another Smokescreen, then follow it with a Leer," Mark said.

"Mewtwo another Barrier!" Sal ordered. "How's that Disable?"

-_It will not last for much longer_, - Mewtwo answered. A moment later, he emerged from the smokescreen, backpedaling and circling around Sal before charging blindly into the haze again. Sal heard Mark order another Quick Attack as Mewtwo vanished. There was a sickening crunch, and both Trainers cried out in alarm.

Fury was trying to mount another attack as the smoke cleared, but Mewtwo was just barely keeping away from him.

"Ember!" Mark commanded, and the attack hit Mewtwo's side as he tried to get away. The Psychic type hissed in pain.

"Confusion!" Sal commanded, hoping that one more attack would do it. The battle hadn't been going on for very long but Mewtwo was clearly struggling, and Sal wondered if she had been asking a bit too much out of him.

To her relief, Fury went down, and Mark recalled his Pokémon before meeting Sal in the middle of the field to shake her hand and surrender the prize money.

"Your Pokémon's cool, but he could use a bit of TLC," he said. "Good battle."

"I know, I just got him actually, he'll be okay I hope, " Sal said as she put her money away. "Your Quilava was cool too."

"Thanks. Hey, you got a PokéGear right? Trade digits with me and we can have another battle sometime," Mark said, and Sal agreed. They held their PokéGears close to one another for a few seconds until the devices beeped, indicating that the registration as complete. Mark walked back with Sal to the PokéMart before he finally left, waving a final goodbye as he did so.

"Are you okay?" Sal asked Mewtwo, stopping. He was breathing hard and it seemed like he was having a hard time keeping pace with her.

-_I will be fine. I just need a Potion. I was not as ready to battle as I thought I was_, - he said.

"Naw, I think I got too ahead of myself, I wasn't really thinking about how you might not be able to battle, it's my fault, I'm the Trainer."

Mewtwo swayed slightly and Sal reached out to try to steady him. She helped him into a sitting position, his legs folding under him naturally in a feline pose. He rested his arms on his knees and hung his head low, taking slow, deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed you so hard," Sal said, her expression worried.

-_Just run in and buy your supplies, I will stay here,_ - Mewtwo said.

Sal returned a few minutes later with her bag packed with supplies. "I hope all of this will last us until after the gym battle, because now I'm broke," she said, sighing. She took out a bottle of Potion, and held Mewtwo's singed tail in her hands. He flinched at her touch but didn't move once Sal spayed the injury. She then sprayed the other spot on his side, and the scratches on his arms and chest from Fury's attacks. He trembled a bit as she sprayed the medicinal liquid on him, and when she looked up at him after she was done, he wore an odd expression. "What is it?"

He didn't answer until Sal had thrown the now empty bottle away. -_It is just that… no one ever treated my wounds like that for me before_,- he said. -_I was always healed by machines, or given the Potions to apply myself,_-

"Do you want me to just give you the Potion next time? " Sal asked, recalling how he had flinched and trembled under her touch.

-_I did not mind, I simply was not used to it. _- Mewtwo paused for a moment in thought. - _Your mind is not guarded,_ - he said to her. - _That could become a problem for you if you were to encounter another Psychic type Pokémon. I am not currently strong enough to shield your mind as well as my own satisfactorily_. -

Sal thought for a minute. " What can I do? Psychic Pokémon and psychic humans learn from family, but no one in my family is psychic, " she said.

- _They would not find someone who was able to teach you? _- Mewtwo asked. - _Psychic humans are uncommon, but humans communicate with each other easily enough that finding someone that could teach you rudimental skills would not be difficult._ - He seemed confused.

"Everyone in my family is afraid of my powers," Sal said.

- _If they fear your power, then that should be all the more reason to assist you in acquiring control,_ - Mewtwo said. -_ It is unsafe for your power to be left unchecked, _- He hesitated for a moment. -_I will teach you control, _- Mewtwo told her and Sal looked at him in amazement. - _But, I will not be an easy teacher, _- he warned. Mewtwo had never been required to teach anyone about using psychic powers, and as he reflected back on Giovanni's teachings, he knew that that the human's methods were not suitable for any living creature to endure. He would have to create his own method. - _I require little time to prepare, we must start as soon as possible._ -

Sal nodded, knowing that he was right. "We should find somewhere away from people though," she said.

-_Yes,_ - Mewtwo agreed. -_Teaching you will also give my body time to recover and I will be ready to battle again by then. The Sprout Tower would be an easy place for me to train, _- he said, looking at the large swaying tower in the distance.

"Yeah, nothing but Bellsprout and Gastly, both Poison types, why didn't I think of that before?" Sal shook her head. "Thank you, for teaching me," she added.

-_It is of no great importance. Come,_ - he said, flicking his tail and Sal followed obediently.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Okay, now what exactly do you want me to do?" Sal asked Mewtwo. They had found a wooded area to the north of Violet City, and Sal now sat in the tall grass in the middle of a small meadow as her Pokémon circled around her. For some odd reason, Sal felt like prey.

-_I want you to listen to me, for the time being, _- Mewtwo said. -_I need to understand what you have discovered on your own as well as what abilities you have already developed before I can teach you properly_, - he said, and Sal readied herself for a lecture. -_Now, can you see auras? _-

"Ever since I was ten," Sal answered.

-_And your powers developed then?_ -

"No, I've had psychic powers since I was five. "

Mewtwo flinched back in shock. -_That is very young, I have never heard of a human developing psychic abilities at such an age!_ -

"Neither have I," Sal said. "I think I heard somewhere that most psychics aren't even aware of their powers until puberty, is that right?"

-_My knowledge of psychic humans is somewhat limited, but yes, I believe that is the case,_ - Mewtwo said. -_But returning to the subject of auras, auras are a psychic manifestation of a being's state of mind and personality. Most psychics view auras as light energy, but there have been rare cases of psychics receiving them as scents or sounds._ -

" I see them as light, " Sal told him, and Mewtwo nodded.

-_As do I. When visible an aura will pulsate slowly, in time to the heating of that beings heart, and the auras of more powerful beings will become flame-like in appearance._ -

" I remember that from when I first met you," Sal said and Mewtwo frowned at the interruption. "But I thought you could always see someone's aura."

-_Skilled psychics can mask their auras from view, and the auras of weak and fearful beings will fade or retract to where they cannot be seen,_ - Mewtwo said. -_Now, look at my aura, and tell me what you see. _-

" Okay, it's kinda a reddish purple, " Sal began frowning as she tried to think of the name of the color.

-_Fuchsia, _- Mewtwo supplied, nodding with approval. -_Auras come in many colors, and I will explain them in a moment. Is there anything else? _- He seemed almost expectant.

"Well …" Sal hesitated, unsure if she was right in what she was seeing.

-_Do not fear correction, I am simply attempting to assess what you understand at the moment_, - Mewtwo said calmly.

" I've only seen one other person like this, a red auraed jerk of a Trainer named Damien, but there are these weird black wispy things in your aura that makes it look really dark. What is that? Is it a bad thing?" she asked him, her voice full of uncertainty.

She quickly began to try to remember what else she knew about auras, in case he quizzed her. She knew that the color on the fringe of a being's aura indicated their current mood, and that it would move more actively when they felt strongly about something. And when someone began to feel more like another color for a little while, then their aura would flicker between the color they were feeling like and their natural aura color.

-_A red auraed human named Damien, with an aura status like my own…_- Mewtwo seemed to lapse into thought at Sal's offhand comment for several minutes.

"Uh, Mewtwo? Do you know him or something?" Sal asked.

-_Perhaps,_ - Mewtwo said, seeming to come to himself. -_The changes that occur in a being's aura are called statuses, and there are many different kinds. White wisps are an indicator of blissful happiness, and are often seen in the auras of people who have recently undergone a change in their aura color and signify their innocence and purity, and golden flecks are a more mild indicator of the same process. A pure white aura is only seen in infants, or in someone who is undergoing a personality shift. The dark wisps in a being's aura are signs of strong negativity in one's psyche, and are only visible to one who is viewing the aura. They are invisible to the one who possesses them._ -

"So you can't see any dark wisps in your aura at all?" Sal asked, and Mewtwo nodded. " When you say negativity, what kind of negativity do you mean? Like just being angry?"

-_Not anger in and of itself, no. Darkness in a being's aura is a sign of long-term negative emotions or the psychic manifestation of trauma. It can be current or previous, as once the darkness is present, it takes a very long time to dissipate. I'm not surprised that it is present in my aura, _- he said with a sigh. -_How much darkness is present?_ -

"A lot," Sal answered.

-_Enough that it is nearly black as opposed to a brighter fuchsia?_ - Mewtwo asked, and Sal nodded. -_I suspected as much._ -

"My aura's lilac, but are there wisps in my aura? " Sal asked.

-_Yes, although I cannot fathom why. _-

"My dad leaving maybe, " Sal guessed. "What about you? Why is your aura so dark?"

Mewtwo sighed and stopped circling her to stand in front of her for a moment, realizing from the determined look in Sal's eyes, and the red flare about her aura, that she was going to ask him about this until he gave in. He had no choice but to answer her completely and honestly. -_From wrath towards those who created me — towards humans in general, but especially the man who ordered my creation and demanded that I serve as his master. It stems also from an addiction to the various drugs that were forced upon me, as well as past depression and violent tendencies that arose as side effects of the drugs used to enhance my strength…- _He didn't look her in the eyes as he spoke, but seemed to stare through her. Seeing her concern Mewtwo added, -_The only being I am still angry towards is the one who ordered my creation, that…will take time for me time to come to terms with. I spent quite some time with him, and I suffered much._-

"But you're not still…" Sal couldn't quite get the word out. A hard lump formed in her throat at the thought of this magnificent creature wishing to end his own life.

Mewtwo gave a small smile that he hoped would reassure her. -_I have no desire to leave this world unless fate wills it, _- he said. -_I cannot say that I understand my reason for being, but I have simply come to accept it._ -

"What about the colors of auras?" Sal asked, changing the subject. "I mean I understand a little, like how I seem to do better around people who have some colors rather than others, but…" she trailed off, and Mewtwo began to speak.

-_Those with blue auras are known to be intelligent and calm, they re sensitive and open minded, and when they feel passionately about something, it is out of love. Red hued auras on the other hand, are hasty and judgmental, and are know to be hardheaded and opinionated. They can be close minded, and hold grudges easily. When they are passionate about something, it is out of loyalty. Those with yellows auras are full of energy, and are cheerful and good-hearted. They can be moody, and are sometimes indecisive and insecure. Those are the fundamental colors,_ - Mewtwo said, finishing.

What about those who are mixtures of those colors, like greens? " Sal asked, thinking of her mother.

-_Greens are intelligent, but can display moodiness and insecurity, although they attempt to appear outwardly collected. They are usually well balanced, but are known to brood, although not quite as much as those with purple auras, and they are selfless and good-hearted. Those with orange auras are often opinionated, but quiet, they are good-hearted and are unfazed by unexpected complications. They are dynamic and passionate. Those with purple auras, like you and I, possess the characteristics of both red and blue hued auras. The characteristics present also depend on the exact hue of the aura, but those with purple auras are dynamic and unpredictable, as they are prone to being contradictory. They are strong-willed, and hold very deep opinions, but possess calm demeanors, and are often aloof and prone to racing thoughts. There are many other combinations, but we would be here for an eternity if I were to attempt to discuss them all. Generally, the paler in color a being's aura is the less prominent the associated characteristics of that aura color is_. -

"Like how my aura is lighter than yours, for example?" Sal asked him.

-_Yes. It is also possible to track auras,_ - Mewtwo said, and Sal nodded.

"Comes in handy during hide and seek," she said with a grin.

-_I know that it is a great deal of information for you to absorb all at once, but as a psychic, you should know these things._ -

"I feel like I should have taken notes, " Sal muttered.

-_Now, what about active psychic powers? _- Mewtwo asked, then blinked in realization. -_Do you understand the difference between active and passive psychic powers?_ -

"That I do know, " Sal said. "Active powers are psychic actions that the psychic has conscious control over and are visible and affective to non-psychics, such as telepathy, teleporting, hypnotism, mind reading, psychic probes, and telekinesis. Passive powers are ones that affect the psychic, or only other psychics, and are things that the psychic can't consciously control, such as mental links, premonitions, clairvoyance and clairaudience, which includes aural abilities, right?"

-_Correct. Now, again, what active powers are you capable of?_ –

"I can teleport, but I don't like it, it's really hard, and I sometimes break things telekinetically when I'm mad, " Sal said.

-_I dislike teleporting as well - it is horribly inefficient and difficult to master, but as for the rest I will teach you,_ - Mewtwo said, and for the rest of the day he worked with her on her telepathy and telekinesis. Although by the end of the day, she could talk to Mewtwo through telepathy from twenty feet away, she was hopeless in telekinesis, which positively vexed Mewtwo because that was his forte. -_Just throw the rock Sal, it is only slightly larger than a pebble! _-

" I can't, I've been trying to do this for the past five hours! Can we please go now? The Pokémon Center is gonna close in five minutes!" Sal said, as it was already quite dark outside.

Mewtwo plucked an apple off of the tree above him and started eating it casually. -_Unless you move that rock to where I am or levitate yourself over here, we are not going anywhere._ -

Sal concentrated on the pebble, and it wobbly rose to her eye level. She willed the rock towards Mewtwo, and it shot forward, but fell to the ground in the middle of the meadow. The stone rolled and bounced until it halted in between the Pokémon's feet.

"I WIN!" Sal cried exuberantly, and ran over to Mewtwo, grabbing an apple from the tree using her powers.

-_No you do not, you chicaner!_-

"Huh?"

-_You cheated! The pebble rolled half of the way!_ -

" You said I have to get the pebble to you using my powers. I used them, and the rock got to you. Therefore, I win."

-_Get back here!_ - Mewtwo shouted as Sal whirled away, and as he raised his hand to stop her, she tripped in the darkness, and Mewtwo snorted in amusement. Sal got to her feet and came over to him looking annoyed as she checked the time on her PokéGear, the bright light illuminating her pale face.

" Now the center's closed and we'll have to sleep outside." Mewtwo shrugged indifferently and sat down under the tree, leaning against it. Sal came to sit close to him, but he scooted away from her to the other side of the tree.

-_If you need a fire, go and find firewood,_ - Mewtwo said.

"Me? Why can't you look for firewood?"

-_I have been standing all day, and my feet hurt. I have my cape, and I am a Pokémon. Fire is a luxury, not a necessity._ -

Sal got up and looked around irritably, her annoyance magnified by the fact that as she was searching, Mewtwo continued to munch on the apples from the tree. When she finally came back with an armful of wood, Mewtwo had a pile of at least fourteen apple cores in between his feet. He munched on the core of a fifteenth passively, stopping only when Sal dumped the pile of wood in front of him. He rummaged through the wood with one hand.

-_Foolish human, all of this wood is pine,_ - he said, obviously displeased.

"So, it's wood isn't it?" Sal snapped back.

-_You cannot make a decent nor safe fire with nothing but pine. Go find another kind of wood, all of this is useless -it is nearly rotten._ -

Sal screamed at the night stars, and stalked off angrily into the woods, telling Mewtwo to find his own fucking firewood.

-_It is your fire, not mine,_ - Mewtwo reminded her, and a fist sized stone zipped towards his head, aided by telekinesis. Mewtwo barely managed to halt the stone in time, and chuckled to himself. Anger was a good motivator for unleashing psychic power, albeit a cheap method, in Mewtwo's opinion. Although, he reflected, he had learned the same way.

Sal sat on the stump of a tree, now cold, exhausted, hungry, and furious. Realizing that her pack was still next to Mewtwo, she ground her teeth in annoyance. She would rather stay right here and not eat than go back to him just to get her food. The girl got up, and discovered a hollow space in the roots of a nearby tree. She pulled some pine straw into the small space, and crawled inside.

Mewtwo awoke with a start, and as he looked about him he realized that Sal had not returned, not even for food, as the pack beside him indicated. Perhaps he had expected too much of her today. She was a human, not a Pokémon, and certainly not a Mewtwo. He realized that he had been mistaken in his attempt to hold her to his own standards of what he considered to be acceptable. He got to his feet and focused on the dim trail her aura had left behind in the air behind her. Tracking aural trails required conscious thought, but it was second nature to Mewtwo. He sensed angry Pokémon though, and quickened his pace. He finally found Sal right in the middle of a Weedle nest. Kakuna and Beedrill were in the trees above them, and Mewtwo stepped cautiously, reaching for Sal slowly. He carried the girl in his arms as he made his way back to the clearing, and by the time he arrived there, his arms burned with the exertion - his feeble forelimbs weren't accustomed to lifting such weight. As he went back into the forest for a moment, he wondered why he had felt the impulse to carry her. He thought back to his abduction of Nurse Joy years prior, and decided that it was simply her gender. Humans were physically pathetic creatures, and human females even more so. He was also beginning to notice an odd instinctual impulse to protect her, and he wondered about that as well.

He eventually came back to where he had left Sal, brushing the pine he had brought aside and setting the wood he had gathered down. He began to make his own fire, lighting it with his powers as he had planned to show Sal. In a few minutes, he had a nice fire going, and he grasped Sal's PokéGear, checking the time. It was four in the morning, but Sal had had little to eat the day before. He pulled some oatmeal and water from Sal's pack along with a small saucepan, and began to prepare it. Returning to the apple tree, he picked some apples, and then returned to his cooking fire. Reaching into the folds of his cape, he withdrew a long, sharp butterfly knife, which he used to cut the apples and add them to the oatmeal. He cleaned the blade, and admired it in the firelight for a few minutes before closing it and going over to Sal, probing her mind gently to wake her.

"Mewtwo?" Sal looked up at him in confusion for a moment, and then the memory of the night before came back to her. " I'm sorry about last night," she mumbled.

-_Apology accepted. You need to eat something, especially since you were using your powers yesterday. Psychic powers affect the body as well as the mind._ -

Sal came over and took the pan from the fire before getting an unused spoon from her pack. She realized that she really needed to buy some small bowls, the durable kind that the PokéMart sold for Trainers. She began to devour the oatmeal, realizing that it was even better than her mom's. With a start, Sal realized that she hadn't called her mom at all, and decided to make a point to do so today. The psychic girl also realized that she had devoured the entire pan of oatmeal, without offering Mewtwo any, and as she looked up, she saw him staring at her from across the fire, his eyes holding a ruby glow from the light. Sal's pale face flushed guiltily.

-_I had planned to make myself my own pan after you had finished,_ - he said with a smirk, and Sal lowered her head in embarrassment. -_There is only one pan. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You trained hard yesterday, and ate little, therefore, you are hungry now, _- he said patiently.

"I'm still really tired, so I think I'm going to go back to bed. Thank you for cooking. Your oatmeal is better than my mom's, " Sal admitted and Mewtwo blinked in surprise, but nodded in acknowledgement. After eating his own oatmeal, Mewtwo put out the fire, smothering it with his powers before coming to sleep under the apple tree.

Sal cracked open one eye when she was certain Mewtwo was asleep and walked over to where he lay beneath the tree. She settled down next to him, and studied the Pokémon carefully. His features were so much more relaxed when he was sleeping, Sal noted, and she could scarcely believe that he was the same Pokémon. She took off her gloves, and reached out on impulse to stroke his head. She was amazed by how soft and sleek his fur was, it was so short she hadn't even been certain that he had fur until she touched him. She moved her hand to pet him again, and Mewtwo's eyes snapped open. Faster than she could blink he had whirled away from her and was on his feet, his expression livid.

-_Do not touch me! Do not ever touch me like that again! I am not a pet to be coddled and caressed! _- he snarled, almost looking as if he might attack her out of pure anger.

"I'm sorry," Sal stammered, and Mewtwo stomped over to where she had been sleeping previously as Sal rolled over beneath the tree, feeling stupid for wanting to pet Mewtwo. He was a psychic type, and a lot of psychic types hated being touched unless it was someone they were very comfortable with, or it was an emergency of some kind. It was basic info, and she hated herself for forgetting it and making Mewtwo angry at her. He was probably already annoyed with her due to her pathetic display of psychic power yesterday, and now today was already shaping up to be even worse.

Sal woke up a few hours later feeling groggy, and saw Mewtwo sitting near the remains of their fire, flipping his butterfly knife about skillfully.

"What do you need a knife like that for anyways?" Sal asked him.

-_For cutting things primarily, but it also makes an excellent weapon for when one is suffering from the aftereffects of a psychokinetic energy surge._ -

"A what?"

-_It is a condition of more powerful and experienced psychics, I doubted you would be aware of it. The episodes are the result of over- or underuse of a psychic's powers and are commonly mistaken for seizures by non-psychics. The psychic's aura extends several inches and flares up, and all but the most powerful of psychics lose control of their powers for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. Afterwards, the psychic loses their power for a few days._

"This happens to powerful psychics, right?" Sal asked, and Mewtwo nodded. "So will you get them?"

-_Yes, although possibly not as frequently as I was before, since I am using my powers more, but there is always the chance I could overexert myself. Occasionally, if one psychic begins to surge near another, the other psychic may also surge, because they naturally absorb the unstable psychic energy. _-

"Does it hurt?" Sal asked him.

-_Yes, and being close to other psychics worsens the pain_. -

"So if you start to surge, I should get away from you, huh?" Sal said, not liking the idea even as she said it.

-_I would appreciate it, yes. Come with me. _-

"But I thought you said this was the best place to train me, " Sal said, confused.

-_You have trained enough for the time being, and now it is my turn to train. _-

"Now that I know something about!" Sal said happily, and dashed ahead of Mewtwo toward Sprout Tower. " C'mon, I'll race ya! And no using your powers, that's cheating!" she called back.

Mewtwo grunted in annoyance. What was the point in making him physically run? Psychic travel was faster. Mewtwo's legs were strong, but after a few minutes he found he was quite winded, and by the time he caught up with his Trainer, he was completely out of breath. He leaned over the railing of the bridge, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

"You're such a wuss, you have no endurance," Sal said. " You've gotta be more balanced and not use your powers so much."

-_What good is that?_ - Mewtwo asked, still breathing heavily.

"Well for starters you'll be healthier," Sal pointed out.

-_I suppose... Given what I know of medicine, it would be more beneficial than anything, but I am not well suited to this kind of training. I assumed that you would be battling me._ -

"Rule one of being a Pokémon of Sal Zarrisia, assume nothing. Rule two, no whining," Sal said. " Now for breaking both those rules, run all the way back to the meadow, and then back here. If you cheat, I'll know thanks to the training you gave me yesterday. Now go on!"

-_You never told me any of this!_ - Mewtwo said irritably as he turned to run back.

"I don't cut breaks in Pokémon training," Sal said.

-_Is that rule number three?_ -

"Now you're catching on," Sal said.

By the time Mewtwo was finished with his running he was thoroughly exhausted. Sal handed him a bottle of water that she had filled from the public water pump near the entrance to the tower and he gulped it down greedily.

"Hey, slow down before you choke yourself," Sal said as she refilled his water and offered it to him again. Mewtwo walked over to the fountain, and turned it on before shoving his sweat drenched head and neck under the stream of cool water and swallowing as much as he could. Even when he had filled his stomach with water, the psychic Pokémon was still thirsty, and upon seeing that Sal had sat down on the bridges wooden steps a few feet away. "Good to see you're saving some for the fishes," Sal remarked with a smirk. "Go ahead and rest," she told him. " You don't want to be moving around after drinking that much water."

Mewtwo sat motionless for several minutes, wandered away for a while, and then returned.

Sal motioned for him to follow her inside. A green robed monk with a calm blue aura stood near a set of stairs and bowed to them as Sal approached.

"Ah, have you come to seek enlightenment, young Trainer?" he asked as Sal bowed to him in return.

"We have," Sal said, her expression somber. Mewtwo was quiet beside her, his tail flicking as he watched the towers famous swaying central pillar move.

"Most excellent. Battles take place on the above floors, and the Grandmaster awaits at the tower's topmost floor. Remember that these battles are not battles of strength, but are meant to test to bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon."

Sal nodded and climbed the stairs, thus beginning her challenge.

"I don't know which one of us is getting the better workout here, " Sal said as she and Mewtwo arrived at the topmost floor after battling the other monks in the tower. " All these stairs..."

-_Only the Master lies ahead now,_ - Mewtwo said as Sal leaned against the wall. -_We have one more battle ahead of us. _-

Sal nodded and moved forward purposefully, moving between a pair of golden Bellsprout statues. Suddenly, a familiar aura caught her attention, and she ducked behind the swaying pillar as she neared it. Mewtwo followed her lead, and judging by his expression, he too recognized the red aura she had spotted. They peered around the edge of the pillar together.

"You battled well young Trainer, " An old man in dark robes was the speaker, and Sal realized that he must be the Master of the tower. "However, you should treat your Pokémon better. Pokémon are not tools of war."

Damien snapped his fingers at his Chikorita, who used its Vine Whip to ensnare the sage before shoving him against the wall roughly. The elder cried out before slumping to the floor.

"Humph, who cares about being nice to Pokémon? I only care about strong Pokémon that can win," Damien spat, recalling his Pokémon. "You lost to me because you were weak and pathetic old man, and that's all that matters here."

"That old man's a better Trainer then you'll be in a thousand years, Damien!" Sal shouted, stepping from her hiding place. "The sage, is he gonna be ok?" she asked Mewtwo, who as still standing behind the swaying pillar.

-_Do I look like a physician?_ - Mewtwo grumbled. -_He is alive, is that not enough? _-

"Just go see if he's ok, alright?" Sal said, and after giving the girl an annoyed glare, Mewtwo trudged over to the opposite side of the pillar and disappeared behind it as he made his way to the sage. He had noticed footsteps as he left his Trainer, but didn't think much of it as he turned his full attention to the unconscious man.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Damien was inches from Sal as she turned around, startled. " Long time no see, " he said, sliding his hands over her thin frame. Sal raised her hands as every impulse screamed at her to send him hurtling across the room, yet she was powerless to push him from her.

Sal gritted her teeth as her skull throbbed painfully. She wouldn't give this jerk the satisfaction of hearing her scream. "Get off of me, or else." Damien pinned her against the wall, as his hand slid under her open jacket to rest on her lower back. He casually slid his icy cold hand beneath her tank top, and Sal's vision blurred as her skull felt as if it would split open.

There was a gagging sound, and Sal felt Damien's hold on her disappear. Nauseous, her head pounding and her vision blotchy, she sank to the floor.

-_The girl is no human male's 'property' ,_ - she heard Mewtwo say. -_Least of all yours._ -

"You! You're supposed to be his!" Damien gasped in anger and pain. "You're Mewtwo!"

-_Hating your father and lusting after his power as usual I see,_ - Mewtwo remarked coolly.

Sal heard Damien chuckle dryly. "We have a mutual distaste of that monster. Why waste your time with her, when you can join me?"

-_I would sooner leave this world,_ - Mewtwo said, as Sal's world faded to black.

Enraged by Damien's actions, Mewtwo grasped the young man with his powers and sent him hurtling down the stairs. Sal had been rendered unconscious and Mewtwo crouched beside her, checking her vitals before moving on the sage in the corner.

The Master of the Sprout Tower came to as Mewtwo approached him. "I am all right," he told the psychic type. He looked over at Sal. "I have suffered worse, attend to your Trainer," he said, rubbing his arms where he had been whipped by Damien's Chikorita.

-_Sal?_ - Mewtwo knelt beside her on the dusty floor, and the girl sat up slowly.

"I...I think I'm ok." Sal pulled herself to her feet using the wall for support, and nearly lost her balance as she made her way over to the rail that surrounded the Sprout Tower's pillar. "I can battle if you can, Master," she said to the old man, who inclined his head and raised up a Poké Ball.

-_That Trainer...Damien…_ -

"Forget about him, are you ready?"

-_Yes._ -

The sage released a Hoothoot from the Ball, and it hopped about, alternating feet as it did so. "Hoothoot, Hypnosis!"

"Confusion!" Sal commanded, but the Hypnosis hit first. Mewtwo fell backwards, instantly put to sleep by the attack, and Sal caught him as he fell, gently easing him into a sitting position. She then backed away, as per the League rules she was only allowed to give verbal commands.

"Hoothoot, Peck!" The tiny owl Pokémon rushed forwards and pecked at Mewtwo's arm. At the sage's instruction, the owl continued to launch Peck attacks at Mewtwo as Sal called for one attack after another without response from her Pokémon.

"Swift!" Sal shouted, and to her relief, Mewtwo's eyes snapped open, and a flurry of star shaped energy particles materialized in front of his hands before hurtling towards Hoothoot. The Pokémon cried out before toppling over, and the Master prepared to send out another Pokémon.

" Bellsprout, use Growth!" The sage commanded, but something in his aura told Sal that he knew the battle was over.

"Confusion," Sal said calmly, and Mewtwo quickly ended the Poison type's misery.

"You fought well young Trainer," the Master said. "You and your Pokémon will accomplish great things, yet the both of you must learn to work together. Do not be discouraged," he said, seeing Sal's disheartened expression. "Such things take time, but the two of you have great potential. See to it that you do not waste it." He bowed to them, which Sal returned. Mewtwo only inclined his head respectfully; he bowed to no human. With that silent farewell, they left Sprout Tower.

Mewtwo looked up at the night sky through the window of the Pokémon Center as Sal talked animatedly to her mother on the phone. Damien had been the last person he had ever expected to see. It had been years since either of them had laid eyes on each other, and Mewtwo had hoped that the youth had forgotten him. The fact that he had taken an interest in Sal was also troublesome. Was it simply an act of human lust, or was it all an elaborate act to acquire him through devious means? Perhaps both. Mewtwo snarled to himself. If Damien thought that he could control him any more than his father could, he was sorely mistaken.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sal sat in her room at the Pokémon Center, her bag at her feet.

-_Sal? _- Mewtwo knocked on the door.

"You can come in," Sal said, and Mewtwo did so. "How did things go with Nurse Joy?"

-_Well enough, I have gained about thirty-two pounds, so she is a bit less worried about me. She says you have done well. _-

"Uh, but all I did was feed you really, and have you battle, once I was sure you weren't gonna keel over on me," Sal pointed out.

-_And I thank you,_- Mewtwo said sincerely.

"You're welcome," Sal said, a little surprised that he was actually thanking her for taking care of him.

They made their way to the Johto Pokémon School, where Falkner was now holding his gym matches.

"Sal!" The gym leader seemed a bit surprised to see her. "I didn't know you were still here."

"And I don't plan on leaving until I get my badge," Sal said evenly.

"Just what I like to hear," Falkner said with a smirk. "Go, Pidgey!" he shouted, tossing a Poké Ball forward.

The brown and cream-colored bird burbled softly, fluttering its wings. Sal smirked, this was going to be a cakewalk. "Mewtwo go, use Confusion!" She said, pointing at the target. Mewtwo needed no urging and passed her by in a single fluid movement. The bird Pokémon collapsed on the ground as he attacked, twitching pitifully.

"Pidgey, attack with Mud Slap!" Falkner shouted, and the little bird obeyed with difficulty after turning himself over, hurling mud into Mewtwo's face.

"Mewtwo, Swift!" Sal ordered, and Mewtwo created a flurry of star shaped energy particles that hit Pidgey dead on, even as he tried to wipe the mud from his eyes.

"Grr, Swift always hits," Falkner growled as he recalled his Pokémon. "Go, Pidgeotto!"

"Pige-ot!" the Pokémon screamed, and Sal tensed. This was it.

"Mewtwo! Confusion!"

"Take to the skies, Pigeotto!"

The bird spread its powerful beige and brown wings and took off up into the air. According to League rules, Flying Pokémon could only exceed an altitude of 150 feet in a gym battle if their opponent was also capable of flying. However, Pigeotto would still be hard to hit with Mewtwo on the ground. Confusion was only a short-range attack, as was Disable. Therefore, that left Swift and Barrier at their disposal. Sal frowned.

The edges of Mewtwo's body began to glow blue and he rose several inches off the floor. "You fly?" Sal asked incredulously.

-_Not for long, we will have to strike quickly. I am not as powerful as I used to be_. -

"Interesting," Falkner murmured as Mewtwo shot upwards towards Pigeotto, eliminating their disadvantage. "Attack with Gust!"

"Swift!" Sal countered.

"Quick Attack!"

"Barrier!"

"Quick Attack, again!"

"Confusion!"

The two Pokémon met each other in midair repeatedly as their Trainers called out commands below them.

"Roost!" Falkner commanded, and Pigeotto swooped down and landed on the ground, preening himself as he restored his heath before flying away again.

"Disable!" Sal commanded and Falkner growled.

" Quick Attack!"

"Swift!"

"Gust!"

"Confusion!"

"Quick Attack!"

Sal growled. "He's stalling, trying to ground us," She muttered.

-_I know, but his Pokémon is more tired than he realizes. Another Confusion will do it. _- Mewtwo told her, reading her thoughts as the worlds left her.

"What about Swift, it'll hit for sure."

-_Yes, but we need the same type attack bonus from Confusion, _- Mewtwo argued, already having sized up his opponent.

Sal frowned, but knew he was right. "Finish it, Confusion!" The attack hit dead on and Pigeotto fell limply to the ground. Falkner recalled his Pokémon as Sal came over to face him. Mewtwo landed behind her softly, pausing to wipe at some of the mud that still clung to his fur.

"Here take the Zephyr Badge, and this Roost TM, you've earned them," Falkner said.

"Thanks," Sal said.

"Are you familiar with the TM?" he asked, and she nodded. "Just checking. All part of being the first Gym leader in a region, I've got to make sure everyone knows what they ought to," he frowned in thought for a moment, then asked, " You aren't an experienced Trainer?"

"No, why?"

"You battle like one. Just a natural talent I suppose," he said, as they said their goodbyes.

Sal and Mewtwo left Violet City, heading down the long stretch that was Route 32. They passed the Ruins of Alph and headed even farther south through the tall grass, stopping as they came to a wooded area that was dense with trees. Mewtwo sat down in the tall grass and Sal joined him, fishing out a Lum berry for him from her pack.

-_Here, _- he said, handing her half of the Lum Berry. Sal blinked. -_Go on, these are perfectly safe for humans to eat._-

Sal took the half of the smooth green berry and bit into the white meat hesitantly. "It's like a plum," she said, interested. Except for the color, the texture and taste of the fruit was the same. Sal finished her half of the fruit almost as quick as Mewtwo did, and he reached over to grab two more from the bag. He offered one to Sal, who shook her head in response, and Mewtwo shrugged before attacking both Berries with his usual appetite.

Sal sat for a moment and watched him eat. She had been a bit worried about him at first, but Mewtwo assured her that his eating habits were normal for him, and that as a Pokémon his metabolism was simply much faster than a humans, coupled with the fact that he was currently more active than he had been in a while. He seemed to understand a lot about his own physiology, as well as that of other Pokémon that they came across, and had a background in medicine that rivaled that of a professional, but Mewtwo had just said that he had a casual interest in the subject when Sal happened to ask him about it. She had noticed that if he thought no one was paying attention, he would sneak into the Trainer's Lounge to read whatever books happened to be lying around. He seemed to crave information and was amazingly observant. Sal had quickly learned that there was no outsmarting him, or hiding anything from him; his mind was as sharp as a Scyther's blades.

However, there were times when Mewtwo definitely seemed to be hiding something from her, like why he had been at the Viridian Gym. He seemed very secretive about his past, and although Sal didn't understand why, she bore him no ill will. She decided that he would tell her when he was ready to.

They continued through the dense forest. It was starting to get dark, and Sal wasn't comfortable with the idea of spending the night in the middle of nowhere. Just as she was about to give up and suggest that they find somewhere to settle down for the night, the trees ended, and sitting there right next to a large cave was a Pokémon Center. A familiar red-haired figure watched them from behind a nearby tree, being careful not to get too close and alert the Psychic type. Damien glanced at the Gastly at his side before retreating to the shadows.

"We're saved!" Sal cried, and headed for the door.

-_You act as if sleeping outside in the forest is a terrible thing,_- Mewtwo said, chuckling softly.

"It's not," Sal said. "But a nice warm bed and a hot shower is so much better," she said with a grin.

-_I have spent too many nights alone sleeping outside to argue with you,_- Mewtwo said. -_Part of me has not quite realized that this is a luxury I will be able to enjoy somewhat regularly_, - he added.

"Just one of the perks of being under a Trainer's care," Sal said.

-_Why do you always phrase it that way?_- Mewtwo asked. -_Other Trainers say 'own' when referring to their Pokémon._- That kind of language had been part of the reason Mewtwo had come to believe that Pokémon were slaves to human masters so long ago. He had been debating on telling Sal some of his past, but hadn't been sure on how to do so. Perhaps, he could trust her with his long kept secrets, but he needed to know where she stood on several things first.

"I hate that phrase," Sal said. "You own objects, stuff, like this bag, " she said with surprising venom, hoisting the pack farther up on her back as she mentioned it. "Pokémon are alive, they aren't tools, and they can't be owned. You might be 'my Pokémon' but I don't own you; you chose to come with me."

-_What if I had not?_- Mewtwo asked. -_What if you had not released me at the Ruins of Alph? Would you own me then_?-

"No, accidental capture, a Pokémon given as a gift, captured in a battle, it doesn't matter, humans work with Pokémon because we both need each other, " she said.

-_For what?_- Mewtwo asked a bit too loudly, grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him, and he realized Sal was startled by his actions. -_For what?_- he asked again, lowering his tone.

"I don't really know how to answer that," Sal stammered. With a sigh, Mewtwo turned away from her, looking disappointed. "But we'll find out, somehow, " she said.

-_How can you have so much hope?_- Mewtwo asked, still not looking at her as he spoke.

"Because people and Pokémon have been working together longer than anybody can remember, so there has to be a damn good reason that the Pokémon haven't tried to kill us off yet," she said, and Mewtwo shivered, as he recalled how close he had come to attempting just that. "Why did Pokémon and people form the Agreement in the first place? Pokémon are a lot more dangerous than people are. Why are humans the dominant species on the planet, when there are thousands of Pokémon? The questions you're asking are literally the questions of life itself in our world Mewtwo, and I'm just a human who's only been around for nineteen years; a psychic human, but still. You're smarter than me, you'll figure it out. "

-_I have been trying for the past nine years,_- Mewtwo said. -_I know many things, about science, medicine, mathematics, literature, psychology, philosophy, so much more than most humans would come to learn in a single lifetime. According to scientific studies that were preformed on me, my IQ surpasses that of an Alakazam, but it means nothing to me if I cannot come to understand what one boy and his Pikachu seem to understand perfectly._-

"Ash and his Pikachu?" Sal asked gently. "He told me about Mt. Quena."

-_It was not his place. I told him to tell no one of what transpired there,_- Mewtwo said, finally turning to face her. He looked furious, but his aura indicated that he was more mentally weary than anything.

"Why did the Rockets want you so badly? Does it have to do with the Viridian Gym?" Sal questioned.

-_I will not speak of that now, _- Mewtwo said with finality.

"Tell me something, anything!" Sal came very close to him, grabbing his head and forcing him to look down at her. "Your past can't be that bad!"

-_You speak of what you do not know._-

"So tell me!"

-_I cannot tell you when I cannot even bear to think of it myself!_- Mewtwo said, wrenching his head from her grasp.

"Mewtwo!" Sal instinctively grasped the tube-like structure on the back of Mewtwo's neck as he turned away. Suddenly, something struck the left side of Sal's head hard, knocking her to the ground. The girl sat up, her ear ringing, blood dripping from her nose.

-_Sal! It was a reflex— _- He began to defend himself. His tail thrashed behind him, and Sal realized that the apendage had been the source of her sudden pain.

"You hit me?" Sal said dazedly. "Why?"

-_It was not a conscious thought, I can assure you, _- he said.

"What?"

-_When you grabbed my cerebral cord - the structure on the back on my head - you could have injured me gravely. It supplies extra blood and sensory input that my brain needs in order to function properly,_- he explained.

"I didn't know. " She was still dazed, and Mewtwo worried that he may have hit her too hard and he pulled the girl to her feet. But the feline Pokémon stumbled as he took a few steps, his vision blurring. "Are you okay?"

-_I am still rather dazed, we need to get you inside, and you need to get off your feet,_- he said, and placing both hands on her shoulders, guided her carefully in the direction of the Pokémon Center.

Mewtwo stood in front of the window of the Pokémon Center, watching a dark cloud drift in front of the moon in the night sky. The room was quiet, except for the sounds of other Pokémon breathing softly in their beds, but as usual, Mewtwo couldn't sleep. He felt as if his mind was always at work, just thinking about everything and anything, and he found that he could never relax. The fact that there were so many other unfamiliar Pokémon around made him even more nervous, and he usually only slept for a few hours each night. He didn't bother saying anything to Sal - she seemed worried about him enough as it was.

Mewtwo's mind drifted to the events that had taken place a few hours before, and his face flushed with shame and self-loathing. The girl had so far treated him with nothing but kindness, yet he had repaid her with lies and half-truths. And it had come to him so easily that it frightened him. He supposed he'd spent too much time with the Rockets - too much time mistrusting humans.

The psychic turned away from the window, and crawled onto the bed, rolling on his side. He never had been able to lie on his back - it always brought dizziness as pressure was applied to his cerebral cord. He supposed he could prop himself up with a few pillows if he so desired, but he wasn't in the mood tonight. He sighed heavily in the darkness. He didn't want to lie to Sal, but he wasn't certain he could tell her the whole truth either. He needed to talk to her, as soon as she was awake. The psychic wrestled with himself over what was right and wrong, as he pulled the blankets over his head.

Images of snowcapped mountains and deep, clear pools formed in his mind, and Mewtwo was vaguely aware that he was dreaming, as he had experienced many such dreams over the years ever since he had first gained consciousness. A female voice said something as the images faded away, but Mewtwo couldn't quite make it out.

-_Sal?_- The voice sounded familiar, it was still speaking to him, but he could hear, it sounded far away. -_I cannot hear you._-

"You're alive," the little girl's voice said, sounding distant. "I have to go, but it's okay."

-_Wait, stop, who are you?_- Mewtwo called out to the odd voice. -_Don't go!_- his mental voice changed suddenly, it heightened in pitch; he sounded younger. A little girl screamed somewhere.

"Monster! Get away!" A faceless man screamed, and the smell of alcohol filled the psychic's nose.

"Drink it," Giovanni's voice said calmly. " Go on, it won't harm you…" Mewtwo turned away from the sound and scent, but his movements didn't feel right, he felt intoxicated, but he hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since he had fled that awful Gym. "Drink it, or I'll tell her you were my pawn," Giovanni's voice said from nowhere. Mewtwo fell to the ground, ripping the helmet from Giovanni's armor off his head, vomiting all over the cold steel floor and his metal armored forearms as Giovanni laughed. "That's a good boy…"

-_Giovanni, you sick son of a bitch…_- Mewtwo looked up to the balcony above him, but instead of Giovanni, the man there was the faceless one from a moment ago. -_Who are you?_- Mewtwo demanded to the dark figure. -_What have you done with the girl?_-

"I should have left you for the scientists when I had the chance," the man said.

"Don't be silly Daddy, he won't hurt me," the girl's voice said from nowhere.

-_They only thought of me as an experiment, nothing more_,- Mewtwo snarled.

The man raised a gun and began firing it at him. Mewtwo screamed, he hadn't felt this much pain since he had been held in Giovanni's machines on Mt. Quena.

"Asterisk!" the little girl screamed over the noise, crying.

"Don't cry…" another little girl said, and Mewtwo realized that this was the girl from earlier, that he had been mistaken, there were two little girls.

-_Wait!_- he cried, running to a girl in a white sundress and turning her around to face him. The white haired child looked at him with deep violet eyes that matched his own.

"Why did you leave me, Asterisk?" she asked him.

-_What do you mean? Who is Asterisk?_- Something clicked in Mewtwo's brain. -_Sal?_- Mewtwo looked up past the child version of Sal to see a second human child, who was also wearing a white dress, her features obscured by darkness.

"Life is wonderful…" the girl in shadows said, her form disintegrating in a flurry of blue particles.

-_Come back!_- Mewtwo cried out, his voice no longer his own, but a mix of his younger self and the child Sal's, the both of them crying out together. -_Come back!_-

Mewtwo suddenly found himself in bed, sitting upright. He was breathing hard, drenched in sweat, and the bed sheets were tangled around him. He untangled himself and tried to pull himself together. He could sense that Sal was currently very upset about something, and he got up as he tried to sort out his strange dream in his head, but none of it made any sense. Now he needed to see her more than he had before, the panic that he was sensing from her was starting to alarm him. Mewtwo strode out of the room down the hall and into the Trainer's Lounge, ignoring the sign that said "No Pokémon between the hours of 10pm to 5pm." No accursed sign was going to get in his way.

-_Sal?_- He knocked on the door softly.

"Mewtwo?" There was a sniffling sound as Mewtwo opened the door. Something thumped into him, and he suddenly found that Sal had buried her face in his chest, her arms wrapping around his torso. Mewtwo stiffened and placed his hands on her shoulders, moving her away from him.

-_Sal, what is it?_- the psychic asked her, completely bewildered. He closed the door with his tail.

"He wanted to kill me. He wasn't just crazy, like Mom just said, he was gonna kill me," Sal managed to say though her tears.

-_What? Who? When?_- Mewtwo asked, snarling slightly at the idea of anyone harming his Trainer.

"Dad," Sal choked out. "When I was little. He killed Asterisk, or he tried to," she whispered, and Mewtwo remembered the name from his dream.

-_Who is Asterisk?_- Mewtwo asked.

"A Pokémon," Sal sniffled. "A Psychic type. I think we were friends but I can't remember."

-_I may be able to help with that. If I can bring those memories to the surface of your mind, you will remember them, but I do not want to hurt you emotionally._-

Sal shook her head. "Do whatever you have to."

Mewtwo sighed. -_Go and lay down on the bed, face up,_- he said, and Sal pulled away from him. As she walked past the window, a shaft of moonlight illuminated her appearance. Her hair was down and tangled, with her bangs clinging to her face, and she was dressed in white cotton pants and a black tank top. Mewtwo crossed the room and knelt down beside her. She closed her eyes as he placed his fingertips on her forehead. -_I need you to relax and let me into your mind,_- he said softly. -_That is it_,- he murmured as he found the memories and brought them to the surface.

The memory of Sal's father that the girl had described was there, and Mewtwo realized that bits of Sal's nightmare must have overflowed into his own. He shoved the memory aside, and searched for a happier memory. He found a few, fragmented memories of Sal playing with the strange teal and gold Pokémon, that seemed to calm Sal a bit. Then he came across something unexpected - a weak psychic link. A growl rose up in his throat, and he attacked the strange link. An unknown psychic presence was not going to be snooping around in his Trainer's head.

"Mewtwo?" Sal sat up and looked to him, as he withdrew his hand.

-_He still had a link in your mind,_- Mewtwo growled.

"But it wasn't strong was it? I mean, I couldn't sense anything."

-_No, but I do not care, I do not want him in your mind!_- Mewtwo said explosively, and Sal recoiled from him, startled and a bit hurt. Mewtwo sighed heavily. - _There is so much you do not understand yet. If any psychic has a link to another then they can monitor that psychic no matter where they are as long as they have the energy to maintain the link. All this time he is been watching you, knowing your every emotion, he may even have been reading your mind, if he is as powerful as I was before I knew you. I have no idea how powerful this creature is, and _- He shook his head hard, not wanting to admit the truth, but knowing that he had to in order to make Sal understand. -_This Asterisk… despite your childhood memories of him, I have no idea who he is. If he turns out to be a Legendary Pokémon, then I need to know what region he is with, where he is in the hierarchy, and what fraction he's allied with within the schism, but thanks to Mew now I can't even confront any of them now, she must have done this on purpose, damn her —_ -

"What are you talking about? Calm down," Sal said, raising her hands.

-_You know about the legendary Pokémon, correct?_- When Sal nodded, Mewtwo continued. -_The legendary Pokémon in each region have a pecking order, the hierarchy, with the lesser legendary trios on the bottom, the more powerful duos and trios after them, all leading up to the region masters, who are ruled by a Pokémon known as Arceus. Before I met you, I was in the processes of attempting to gain acceptance into the ranks of the other legendary Pokémon, initially at Mew's suggestion, but she stripped me of my levels and betrayed me. I couldn't put all of my burdens on you all at once on your first day of knowing me. _-

"I wish you would have told me, and I'm not happy that you lied to me, " Sal said, slowly, and Mewtwo could sense the turmoil in her emotions, "but I might have done the same thing," she sighed heavily, and Mewtwo stared at the floor in shame. "So what do we do now?"

Mewtwo thrust his guilt aside for the moment to answer her. -_About the Legendaries? There is nothing we can do now, which is why I was avoiding any talk of it. Thanks to Mew, I'm no longer strong enough to go to any of them safely._-

"But one day, when we're strong enough, we can go right?" Sal asked.

-_We? You… would come with me?_-

"Well, why not? Being a Legendary would be a good thing, right?"

- _It would be dangerous for you to be with me. You could be killed easily, psychic powers or none._-

"I'm a Pokémon Trainer; every day is dangerous, I live for danger," she said with a smile.

-_Yes, and so you surround yourself with dangerous things, like me_.-

"You aren't dangerous, " Sal said, strangely confident as the psychic began to leave, a slight frown upon his face.

"Hey Mewtwo. " The psychic turned around uncertainly. "Goodnight."

-_Goodnight,_ - he said as he left, and shut the door behind him.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Bright and early the next morning Sal and Mewtwo headed out for Union Cave.

-_Azalea Town is just beyond Union Cave, therefore if we depart now when should make it there by this evening, provided we don't become lost, of course._ - Mewtwo said.

"Don't you dare jinx us," Sal said, pursing her lips as she watched his thick fingers trace out routes on the holographic map her PokéGear projected. "If we get lost, it'll be all your fault."

-_Humph, fine, then you can lead_, - Mewtwo said, crossing his arms and turning as he glared balefully.

"Busken!" a voice cried out, and a gold and orange bipedal blur shot in between the pair, disappearing quickly behind a tree.

"Was that a Pokémon?" Sal asked, dumbfounded.

-_I believe so,_ - Mewtwo answered, lowering his arms to his sides. -_I got a good look at her, my eyes are better than your weaker human ones, but I have never seen anything like her before._- He went over to the tree and poked his head around it. After a long moment, he held the strange Pokémon by the hand as he lead her out where Sal could see her.

"Oh, a Combusken!" Sal exclaimed in surprise. "They're a dual type - Fire and Fighting - the evolved form of one of the Pokémon Professor Birch of Hoenn gives to new Trainers." She took out her PokéDex and pointed it at the gold-and-orange-feathered creature, and the device began to provide them with basic info.

"Combusken, the evolved form of Torchic. This fire Pokémon is known for its powerful Double Kick attack. Its cry is loud and distracting. They are rare in the wild and are usually seen under the care of Trainers. " The Combusken was about four feet tall, her upper body covered in tawny feathers, while her lower torso and thighs were covered in orange feathers. Her legs were gray and birdlike, and her red eyes darted about as the claws on the end of her feathered hands twitched. Overall, she resembled a large, humanoid chicken, with a small feathery orange crest on the top of her head.

"My name's Vulcanna," the Combusken said nervously in her own language. "I'm a little lost; my Trainer and I got separated in the cave, " she explained.

"Hey don't worry about it, we'll help you out," Sal said, and Vulcanna jumped, obviously surprised that the human understood her. "I'm Sal and this is Mewtwo." The psychic type inclined his head as he was introduced. "What's your Trainer's name?" she asked the female Pokémon.

"Hannah," the Combusken answered. "She's somewhere in that cave, but I'm nervous about going in there by myself."

-_Sal and I are headed through Union Cave as well,_ - Mewtwo said.

Sal nodded. "We'll find her, don't worry."

Cold, dank, and stale air enveloped Sal, and she unconsciously shivered, uncomfortable with the atmosphere the cave trailed close behind the human as Mewtwo strode ahead, sniffing the scents of the air. Suddenly, he let out a shout that caused a flurry of activity. At least a hundred Zubat that Sal hadn't even know were there took off and fluttered drunkenly into the darkness of the cave, their sonar destroyed by her Pokémon's sudden roar. "Uhhh…" Sal stared at him, not knowing what to say.

-_What?_ - he said, turning to the other two, who stared at him confusedly. -_Would you rather have to battle all of those Zubat? I was startling them away, since you possessed insufficient funds to buy any Repel.-_

"Thanks for advertizing I'm broke, Mewtwo, " Sal muttered.

The two females followed Mewtwo deeper into the cave. -_Here,_ - he said, stepping neatly behind Sal. -_You said you wanted to lead._ -(^^)

"I did not!" Sal said furiously. "You drafted me into leading," she said as she gave him a wide-eyed look.

Mewtwo's eyes narrowed deviously. - _Do not tell me you are afraid of caves,_ - he said, chuckling.

"I am not afraid," Sal said. "I just don't like caves," she said defensively, and Mewtwo chuckled as he saw that Vulcanna seemed to agree with her. The psychic human concentrated, and a bright glowing sphere of psychic energy formed in her hand. The girl held it high up into the air, and then allowed her had to fall back to her side, as the sphere hung in the air and followed the girl as she moved.

- _I prefer caves, _- Mewtwo said. - _They are nice and quiet, and you never worry about the elements, unless you leave the cave, naturally._ - He gave a smirk that made Sal shiver.

"You're crazy," Sal told him. "Hannah!" Sal called out, her voice echoing through the cave. She called out again.

-_I don't sense any humans nearby, _- Mewtwo remarked, his long tail whipping back and forth slowly. -_She must be farther in. How far did you run, or for how long?_ - he addressed the other Pokémon.

"I don't really know," she answered. They walked on for what seemed like an eternity in the darkness. Sal glanced behind her where Vulcanna followed along steadily and Mewtwo trudged behind her, looking exhausted. His ears twitched suddenly, and he blinked. Sal turned around as she heard a scuffling sound in the blue-hued gloom.

"I'm afraid I still don't hear anyone, Miss," a gruff tenor voice was saying.

"Hello?" Sal called out. "Is someone there?" She saw Mewtwo reach up and add his own psychic energy to Sal's light-sphere, and it glowed much brighter. Sal looked away, a bit dazzled.

"Ah, there's where that light was coming from," a man's voice said. Sal could tell by his profile that he was well-built, but she was still blinded from looking at her light. A short, slender shape moved out from beside him and she heard Vulcanna cry out, her loud voice echoing off the walls of the cave.

"Oh, Vulcanna, I'm so glad you're alright!" Sal's vision cleared, and she saw a young girl -who looked to be about eleven- embrace her Pokémon happily. "Thank you for finding her," the girl said, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her dark eyes.

"No problem, you're Hannah?" Sal asked, and the girl nodded. "Sal Zarrisia," she said, offering her hand, which the girl took. "Are you a friend, sir?" she asked the man beside her.

"Naw, just a Trainer lookin' to lend a hand, like you," he replied. "Name's Charlie, " he said, and Sal tried not to wince as he crushed her thin hand in his large meaty one. Charlie and Hannah where covered in dirt and dust, and judging the amount of dirt that Sal could see on Mewtwo's coat, she imagined that she wasn't much better. Now that she had finally stopped walking, her feet throbbed painfully, and she realized how tired and hungry she was. She grabbed the PokéGear around her neck and checked the time. It was getting late. "I've already agreed to get Miss Hannah here to the Pokémon Center safely, do you and your Pokémon need any help?" he asked.

"No I think we're ok, thanks, " Sal answered.

"Well, my Pokémon and I make our home in this cave, and help Trainers get through safe, so if you need help, give a holler," the man said casually, as he lead Hannah and her Combusken away. Sal waved as Vulcanna glanced back at them.

Sal and Mewtwo made camp, and made a small fire using what little scrap wood they could find. Dinner was little more than a bit of rice and canned beans. The both of them ate in tired silence, and neither of them spoke.

Sal shivered – the cave was freezing cold at night – and she curled up on the hard ground and tried to sleep. Mewtwo walked away from her, sitting down behind a large boulder and closing his eyes, allowing his head to droop as he too attempted to sleep. A few minutes later, his head jerked up and he came to sit next to the charred scraps of wood that had been their weak fire. His insomnia was getting the best of him. Mewtwo glanced over at the shivering human on the ground, and assured himself that she would be fine. He got up and paced about their camp for a while, ensuring that nothing was near them, and they were not going to be attacked in the middle of the night, before resuming his resting place behind the rock and beginning a fragmented sleep.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sal woke the next morning desperately wanting a shower. She found Mewtwo sitting across from her, poking a twig at the remains of their fire the night before. He looked tired and said nothing as she approached him, his dark eyes only flicking up to her face briefly before resuming their downward position.

"Are you ok?" Sal asked him, her voice still hoarse.

- _I __despise __mornings__, _- the psychic muttered, as if he was thinking out loud. - _Nocturnal __sleeping __patterns __are __far __more __efficient__. __And __yet__, __here __I __am__, __made __of __the __DNA __of __diurnal __creatures__. __I __cannot __keep __a __nocturnal __schedule __no __matter __how __I __try__. __Fate __is __cruel__… _-

"Mewtwo?"

-_Hm__?_ - The catlike being raised his head at her voice and blinked, as if only just now realizing she was there. - _Did y__ou __require __something __of __me__? __My __mind __was __elsewhere__, _-

"As usual," Sal said with a grin. " Did you sleep okay? You look really tired. What time did you get up?"

Mewtwo sighed, deciding that he might as well tell her. As his Trainer, she was bound to notice his sleeping habits eventually, if she had not already. - _I __suffer __from __chronic __insomnia__, __and __when __I __do __sleep__, __it __is __never __restful__._ -

Sal nodded. She had suspected as much, but the fact that he was opening up to her and talking about it was a good sign. "Do you ever get nightmares? I get them a lot, that's why I'm asking," she said, feeling obligated to explain.

Mewtwo inclined his head. -_Regrets __that __have __returned t__o __haunt __me __and __dark __fragments __of __my __past__, __come __to __life __again__. __No __amount __of __medicine __is __of __any __aid __to __me__. __It __is __something __psychological __in __nature__, __yet __for __all __my __knowledge __of __psychology__, __I __cannot __drive __my __own __demons __from __me__… _- He still seemed aloof, and Sal wasn't totally certain that he was still aware that they were having a conversation.

Sal left Mewtwo to his long thoughts and cleaned up their camp, gathering all of her supplies and shouldering her pack again. Honestly, she wondered if Mewtwo needed to see a shrink. She chuckled to herself, knowing full well that she ought to be seeing one herself, but she had yet to find one that she actually trusted, unlike the last few, who blabbed about every little thing she said to her mother. Whatever happened to patient confidentiality? She wondered idly if there even was such a thing as a Pokémon psychologist. Pokémon lived more or less in the present, so most wouldn't need that kind of doctor. But Mewtwo was different than other Pokémon, he was always obsessing over past events, and to Sal it seemed as if those thoughts were hindering him in the present.

"Are you ready to go?" Sal asked him. "I don't have any food for breakfast on me; we'll have to get something from the Pokémon Center."

Mewtwo got up and stood behind her silently, indicating that he was ready to go. Sal watched his slowly waving aura for a second before beginning to walk once again. After a few minutes, they reached the cave's exit and stepped into the bright sun with grimaces on their faces.

-_The __sun __is __this __bright __and __it __is __still __before __noon__? _- Mewtwo blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes.

"It's only 9:30, " Sal answered, looking at her PokéGear. "I'd kill for a shower and a cup of coffee." She looked back at her Pokémon. "You look like you could use some coffee too," she said, half-joking.

-_Black__, __no __sugar__,_ - Mewtwo said, not joking in the least, and Sal grimaced at his preference. It did make sense to her though – she had noticed that Mewtwo disliked sweet substances. - _Although __I __prefer __tea__, __the __idea __of __coffee __is __becoming __all __the __more __appealing __the __more __I __consider__it__._ -

Sal and Mewtwo headed up the dirt road, passing a wooden sign that read Slowpoke Well. As they approached the well, they heard a gruff male voice shout out.

"I told you already, I'm just guarding- I mean standing - in front of this well so no one falls in because the ladder's broken," a man dressed in an all black uniform and cap was saying. He was speaking to a woman dressed in green belly tank top, with a black jacket, and matching shorts and boots. She wore her long straight red hair down, and she brushed a strand away as she talked.

"Aw, really? " Her voice dripped with surgery sweetness, and Sal spied a Meowth sneaking around the back of the well. Obviously, the Pokémon was checking to see what this guy was really up to. She and Mewtwo drew closer when the cat Pokémon poked his head into the well, but they both froze when it raised its head again. The beige Pokémon's eyes widened as it spotted them, and it made a quiet retreat.

"Well, thanks again for being such a good Samaritan," the woman said to uniformed man.

-_Sal_, _return __me__, _- Mewtwo demanded.

"Why?" Sal asked. "I didn't think you liked your Ball much. "

-_True__, __but __I __am __suspicious __of __that __human __guarding __the __well__. __Shady __characters __like __that __are __often __attracted __to __rare __Pokémon__._ -

Sal nodded, seeing his point. She did as he asked and watched as the tall gray Pokémon was engulfed in red light before being sucked inside the Master Ball.

Sal managed to get past the man dressed in black without any trouble, and made her way to the Pokémon Center.

After handing Mewtwo over to Nurse Joy, Sal went and got her badly needed shower before heading over to the Trainer's lounge, and eating a quick breakfast. Someone had set out coffee, and Sal got a cup for herself and Mewtwo. She took both cups with her to the main lobby, where she found her Pokémon waiting.

"Here," she said, handing him the cup of coffee. He blinked in surprise, but took the cup. "Are you ready to go?"

Mewtwo sipped his coffee and nodded, and they turned to leave. The center's doors opened and Sal came face to face with the red-haired woman with the Meowth she had seen earlier, as well as a man who seemed near her age with green eyes and straight blue hair that stopped a little past his ears. He wore a plain white dress shirt that he wore tucked in neatly with a black belt, and black slacks. The Growlithe beside him growled at Mewtwo, and the larger feline Pokémon hissed subconsciously.

"Hey, lay off Growlie, Mewtwo's an old pal," the Meowth chided, and the other Pokémon backed off, whining. What surprised Sal was that the Pokémon had spoken in plain human English. Then she realized what he had actually said.

"Wait, Mewtwo you know them?" she turned to her Pokémon.

"Meowth, how do you know it's the same Mewtwo?" the red-haired woman asked.

"Come on Jessie, how many Mewtwo can there be?" the man beside her remarked.

-_I __met __them __on __Mt__. __Quena__,_ - Mewtwo told her, and this seemed to settle the dispute between the other three as to whether or not this was the same Mewtwo they had met before. -_They __are __James__, __Jessie__, __and__Meowth__._ -

"So what in the world happened to you?" Meowth asked the larger cat Pokémon. His sharp eyes spotted the Master Ball clipped on Sal's bag strap, and as he quickly put two and two together, he smirked. "Finally find something your powers can't beat?"

"Actually, he chose to come with me," Sal said.

-_What __about __the __three __of __you__? _- Mewtwo asked, motioning them over to the lounge area, where they made themselves comfortable, and introductions were passed around.

"Well, we've left Team Rocket, for one thing," Jessie began.

-_They __say __no __one __leaves __Team __Rocket__,_ - the Psychic type said, a look of warning in his eyes.

"Actually it was because of you that we decided to give being good a shot," Meowth said, and Mewtwo blinked in surprise, as Sal's expression turned to one of confusion.

-_I __never __thought__..._- he shook his head in wonder. Shielding his telepathy from his Trainer's awareness he warned the other three, -_Sal __does __not __yet __know __of __my __former __association __with __Team __Rocket__. __I __have __not __yet __told __her __of __it__. __Take __care __in __what __you __say __about __Mt__. __Quena__. _-

Sal examined their auras. James' was green, Jessie's a cherry red, and Meowth's a bright orange. They didn't have more than the slightest traces of darkness in their auras, and Sal had a hard time believing that they had been a part of Team Rocket at all.

"So, how did you end up with Sal?" Meowth asked Mewtwo, and when he hesitated, Sal launched into the story of her life as a Pokémon Trainer thus far. In turn, Jessie and James told Sal of their own adventures and the other two listened with interest.

The girl shook her head. "Understanding Pokémon, I have no problem with, but you are a whole different story," she said to the Meowth.

-_Even __I __must __admit__, __it __is __a __rather __interesting __ability__. __How __did __you __learn __to __speak __a __human __language__?_ - Mewtwo looked to the other cat curiously.

Meowth then launched into his own tale of how he had tried to learn to speak human in order to win the heart of the female Meowzy - and how in the end- she had thought he was just a freak. His story touched Sal - love was a very rare thing for Pokémon - and for him to be rejected like that must have been hard. She voiced her opinion.

-_Pokémon __are __different __than __humans __in __that __aspect__, __Sal__, _- Mewtwo attempted to explain.

"It's tough, but when it comes to Pokémon and love, the girls make all the rules, and if they don't like you, then you just gotta move on." Meowth shrugged.

-_So__…__If __the __three __of __you __are __no __longer __counted __among __the __ranks __of __Team __Rocket__, __then __what __are __you __doing __with __yourselves __now__?_ - Mewtwo asked them.

"Traveling mostly," James answered with a shrug.

"I've just finished Pokémon nursing school actually, so I've been interning at just about every Pokémon Center we come to, " Jessie added, and Sal could sense strong emotions behind her words, so the psychic assumed that she cared deeply about her current occupation.

"Lucky for us they're paid internships, " Meowth added, his eyes glittering.

"I thought about being a human nurse, but then I would just end up stuck at some hospital somewhere, and James and Meowth both like to travel, " Jessie added.

-_Interesting__. __Tell __me __more__,_ - The psychic feline said, and Mewtwo and Jessie then began a side conversation about medicine. Sal turned to James.

"So what about you, James?"

"Oh Jimmy'll do any kinda work he can get his hands on," Meowth interjected.

"Well, our traveling causes us to end up in all kinds of places," James said. "So far I haven't had a problem finding work, but even if I did run into trouble I'm pretty sure I could help out at the Pokémon Center."

Sal glanced at the clock on the wall. " Hey, Mewtwo, we'd better get going if we want to challenge the Gym, because I need to stop at the PokéMart too."

"Ooooh, hey if you can wait until three, my shift at the Mart ends then, so I can get you an employee discount," James offered, and Sal brightened.

"Really? Ok, thanks," Sal said, and with promises to keep in touch, the group departed.

Sal stepped inside the Gym, finding that the interior had been designed to look like a forest. Just perfect for Bug types. She glanced back at Mewtwo, uncertainty in her amethyst eyes.

"Psychic types are weak against Bug types, are you going to be okay?" she asked him worriedly. "You're all that I have."

- _I __have __faced __far __more __formidable __opponents __than __what __we __will __encounter __here__,_ - Mewtwo sniffed. - _The __most __dangerous __Pokémon __we __would __encounter __here __is __a __Beedrill__, __which __is __also __a __Posion __type__._ -

"Well, okay..." Sal made her way to the center of the Gym. She was nervous about this Gym Leader, Bugsy. Apparently, he was tough and despite Mewtwo's strength, the psychic cat did have a type disadvantage.

"Hey, " a voice called to them from above, and a boy with long lilac hair and a green aura jumped down from the tree. "I'm Bugsy, the Gym Leader here, you're my challenger today right?"

Sal took his offered hand with a nod. "Sal Zarrisia, nice to meet you."

Bugsy eyed Sal's near Poké Ball-less bag strap, and Mewtwo with interest. "I've never see a Pokémon like that before, what type is it?"

Sal hesitated, but decided that he would guess soon enough. "A Psychic type, why?" she asked guardedly.

"I thought so," Bugsy said nodding. He took out a Poké Ball and held it up. "Let's make this one-on-one, just to be fair."

"Fair? Sounds like you're trying to go easy on me," Sal retorted.

"Well, I've had tons of challengers this week and this one's the only Pokémon I have left," Busy said. "But, it also happens to be my best one."

"Okay, if you really want to do it that way... " Sal pointed to the center of the battlefield before them. "Mewtwo." The psychic Pokémon wordlessly floated forwards to the center of the arena.

Busy threw his Ball to the ground, and as a green Pokémon appeared, Mewtwo's eyes widened in instant recognition, and dread settled itself in his innards like a merciless serpent.

"Ssscccyyyyytherrrrrr!" the Pokémon screamed.

"Scyther Fury Cutter!" Bugsy commanded.

The Pokémon swiped one of its deadly blades at Mewtwo's chest. Mewtwo staggered back, a hand on his bleeding wound. His normally cool violet eyes flashed fuchsia with bloodwrath as he sought to punish the creature who had dared to spill his blood. He snarled viciously as the crimson liquid began to stain his silvery pelt.

"Mewtwo, Swift!" Sal commanded as the mantis Pokémon charged at him again. The attack barely seemed to phase the Scyther who - like an unstoppable green lawn mower from hell - just kept coming, the attack pinging off the insect's hard carapace as he streaked towards Mewtwo, a whirlwind of green and gold blades fueled by pure testosterone and bloodlust.

"Fury Cutter again!" Busy ordered.

Sal winced as the sharp blades slashed at Mewtwo again, and a strange vocalization tore from her catlike Pokémon's throat. A high pitched, unearthly yowl filled the stadium, and his features dark with wrath, Mewtwo launched himself bodily at his bladed opponent.

"Barrier, get some distance from him Mewtwo, Scyther needs to be close to attack!" Sal's orders were sound tactically, but she had a secondary motive for uttering them. She didn't like the feral, savage look in her Pokémon's eyes. Only in retrospect would she realize that this battle had been more that a simple Gym battle, it had been a war, a war between the wildfire of unbridled passion from a psychic's mind, and the frigid, calculated logic of an insect's blades. In the heat of this moment though, even if she didn't understand exactly why, Sal was afraid.

"Swords Dance while that Barrier is up, then attack with Fury Cutter!"

Bugsy's strategy worked, and Sal watched helplessly as Scyther began his deadly assault once more, his power augmented by the Swords Dancing. She ordered a Disable, then a Confusion, but Mewtwo didn't seem to hear her, the sound of battle in his ears as he exchanged his own combination of physical and telekinetically-assisted blows. Scyther gave Mewtwo no time to counterattack, his power growing effectively with each slash, the instinctual hatred within both of them rising, until it ultimately reached a breaking point.

The Scyther's blade flashed across the side of Mewtwo's face, and hot, fresh, red blood splattered across the mantis Pokémon's eyes. Sal gasped, recalling how Scyther were affected by the color red.

The mantis gave an enraged scream that mingled with Mewtwo's yowl of pain. For a brief moment, they seemed almost one – both combatants screaming together in anguish and bloodlust and instinctual hatred for the other. The Scyther began swiping at Mewtwo madly, as the feline grappled with the monstrosity, encircling his limbs about the green demon to protect himself, ignoring Sal's panicked orders to just get away. The girl gasped in horror as Mewtwo grabbed Scyther's wrists as the mantis sought to drive them deep into the catlike Pokémon's slender, helplessly exposed throat, his Adam's apple bulging, as his frame quaked from exertion. He held the green monster for several moments, as blood flowed in rivers down his sides, arms and legs before their shell-shocked Trainers seemed to come to their senses.

"Scyther, come back!" Bugsy recalled his Pokémon, his face deathly pale, as Mewtwo fell backwards, his mind slipping into the darkness of unconsciousness. The Psychic type felt his body being engulfed by the power of the Master Ball, an object of both curses and blessings as it stripped him of his freedom. Yet also froze his body in time, severing his mental awareness of his own pain, and for the first time, the darkness was something that Mewtwo welcomed as his mind arrested conscious thought.

Mewtwo awoke slowly, blinking to clear his vision. He was in a bed, and judging from the appearance of the room, assumed it was the Pokémon Center. He made to sit up, and clenched his jaw in pain as he moaned mentally. He tried to recall how he had gotten there, and although he recalled that there had been a battle, it only came in fragments of memory, like a dream… or a nightmare.

"Hey! You stay right there!" a voice shouted, and Mewtwo looked over to see the Center's Nurse Joy glaring at him. "You're in no condition to be moving about; you'll tear your wounds open."

Mewtwo threw the blanket that was covering him aside to look at the now-tended-to injuries that covered his body. His entire upper body was swathed in white bandages, as was a large portion of his legs. Sighing, he eased himself back down onto the bed, and covered himself with the blanket again, turning away from the nurse as she made her way towards him.

- _I__…__fainted__, _- Mewtwo thought, not truly speaking to the nurse, but not really caring if she heard either. - _I__, __Mewtwo__, __the__most__powerful__Pokémon__in__existence__, __lost__to__an__insect__. __Despicable__. _-

"All Pokémon lose and faint sometimes. There really isn't any such thing as the world's most powerful Pokémon, the very idea is ridiculous," Nurse Joy said from behind him.

Mewtwo scoffed at her. -_You __know __nothing __of __my __power__. __I __cannot __even __recall __ever __succumbing __to __unconsciousness __as __a __result __of __battle__. __Yet__, __because __of __that __infernal __Mew__, __I __am __now __as __hopelessly __pathetic __as __any __other __Psychic __type__, __as __utterly __useless __as __an __Abra__,_ - he spat wrathfully.

"You don't look that useless against Bugsy's Pokémon," Nurse Joy said in an encouraging tone.

- _My __only __hope __of __defeating __that __accursed __Scyther __lies __in __training __myself__. __Sal __must __take __me __back __to __Union __Cave__, __deeper __than __when __we __last __passed __through __it__, _- Mewtwo said to himself. - _There __is __always __the __option __of __leaving __Azalea __Town __and __continuing __onwards __to __Goldenrod__, __and __obtaining __a __Flamethrower __TM __from __the __department __store __there__, __but __Sal __lacks __the __funds __to __obtain __one__,_ - he said, snarling a bit in frustration, as he heard the nurse leave the room. The feline's thoughts turned to the girl in question. The human female that had become his Trainer hadn't yet given Mewtwo a reason to outright dislike her, but the fact that she was always so limited in funds was a great annoyance to him. He could always hack into Giovanni Rochetto's various bank accounts and siphon more money into his own bank account, but that would mean explaining where the money came from, as Sal was not the sort to leave any question unasked. Even if he was so bold as to tell her of the origins of his hidden wealth, he doubted that she would accept a single penny of it. Mewtwo understood that humans associated the origins of funds with the way in which it had been obtained – in short, it was all what the humans called "blood money." Mewtwo closed his eyes a moment, recalling how he had acquired such monetary funds in the first place.

After leaving Giovanni, Mewtwo had come to realize that humans were a decidedly simple-minded species, and that they considered all Pokémon beneath them, incapable of understanding them on any level. In order to circumvent the humans stupidity, as well as their apparent fear of being addressed by a Psychic type Pokémon with an intelligence that clearly surpassed their own(tee-hee), Mewtwo created several human aliases for himself, which he used for whenever he was forced to interact with humans on any intelligent level. His particular favorite among these aliases was a thirty-year-old human male named Matthew Fuji, younger brother to Dr. John Fuji, the scientist who had created him. Of course, the real Matthew Fuji was deceased, Mewtwo had killed him on Giovanni's orders. The man had been wealthy, a womanizer, and an all around annoyance, and Giovanni had been pleased to have him gone. What Mewtwo had hidden from the Rocket Boss however was that he had quietly made the life of Mathew Fuji a cover for his own independent human affairs, and it had paid off.

Now however he didn't have the power to even project the illusion, never mind the psychic acrobatics needed to completely trick a human's simple mind. Damn Mew for getting him into this mess. When he saw her next, she was going to pay.

Just thinking about her made his blood boil, and the insistent beeping of the EKG beside him was getting annoying. He sat up, and twin daggers of pain shot across his torso as his stitches tore, and the realization only aggravated him further. Mew got him into this mess of being injured and fainting. The memories of the furious battle came back to him, and as his heart hammered in his chest like a wild creature attempting to free itself from imprisonment, he turned his attention to the madly beeping EKG.

On impulse, he launched a Confusion at it, and smiled in satisfaction and a strange sort of relief as it sparked and caught on fire(lol). An alarm sounded, and Nurse Joy came rushing in, fire extinguisher in hand. The nurse put out the flames and set the red extinguisher aside as Sal rushed into the room behind her.

"What on earth are you doing, willfully destroying Center property! " Joy exclaimed, as Sal stared at him as if he were a small child caught drawing with crayon on the wall.

- _It __was __irritating__,_ -Mewtwo replied. _And __it __felt __good_, he thought privately to himself. It was relieving even, to see that at least something still crumpled under his might, even if that something as pitiful and nonthreatening as a simple heart monitor. And as Sal's disapproving stare deepened, he rolled his eyes. Why did human females have to be so emotional about everything? It was like a disease, a plague that spread from one of them to the next.

"So you fried her EKG?" Sal asked, her tone rising in pitch. " Don't you know how much those things cost?"

-_Do __you__?_ - Mewtwo's tail thrashed against the empty air, as his strange desire to destroy something else grew.

"Well no, " Sal stuttered, caught off guard. "But-"

- _Then __how __can __you __lecture __me __about __the __monetary __value __of __equipment __you __know __nothing __about__? __The __Center __has __others__, __and __she __can __order __another__. __It __is __none __of __my __concern__,_ - he said. Irritated at this human who was looking at him as if he'd committed some unspeakable evil, he stilled his tail, but the end kept twitching, as the sweet memory of unleashing his wrath upon the smoldering device in the corner itched at the edges of his mind. It was an itch he longed to scratch at, but not now.

"Well this is certainly about to be your concern, " Nurse Joy threatened as she attended to his open wounds, and Mewtwo snarled at the idea of this human, this nurse, of all people, threatening him. Her tone was furious, and she restitched his wounds with a viciousness that Mewtwo hadn't thought the nurse capable of. "Somebody's got to be responsible for that machine, and legally Pokémon are the complete responsibility of their Trainers, so Sal, you'll be assisting me here at the Center for the rest of the month," she said.

The Trainer immediately protested. " But Nurse Joy, I didn't do anything, Mewtwo perfectly able to comprehend right from wrong, make him take the blame for his own consequences!" She was perfectly right of course, but Mewtwo allowed his face to blanken to one of incredulity.

"If you don't want to make it two months I suggest you go grab a set of scrubs from the utility closet and get to work. Jessie can help you if you have any questions," she said, and as the psychic opened her mouth, nurse Joy added, "I suggest that you consider yourself lucky that I don't report you for damages, and let the League take your license."

Mewtwo sniffed - it would take more than a single incident of him destroying one EKG for Sal to lose her license, but Sal apparently didn't know this, as she gulped nervously. The nurse turned her back to Sal, who took advantage of the opportunity and flipped Mewtwo the bird. Mewtwo smirked and chuckled as his Trainer left in a silent rage, as evident by her flickering red aura.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Sal spent the rest of the day assisting Jessie with various chores around the Center. Since she wasn't an actual nurse, she didn't get to be around any of the Pokémon. Much to her annoyance, the psychic was put to the task of handling all of the more mundane chores around the center.

Sal wasn't one to gripe about a task that she'd been given, but she couldn't help but be rather annoyed at Mewtwo as she cleaned out yet another human room in the Trainer's dorm. It was because of him and his destructiveness that she was even here. She hated messing with bedrooms that didn't belong to her, despite the fact that all of the rooms were Center property. That and there was fact that the room's last inhabitant had left it a mess didn't soothe her ire either. As she finished vacuuming, Jessie hollered at her over the din to clean the bathrooms, and Sal wearily trudged off to do so, her physical exhaustion creeping up on her.

"At least I'll sleep good tonight," she muttered to herself. She then wondered what Mewtwo was doing, and thought that he was probably off enjoying himself.

Wrinkling her nose at the smell of the men's restroom, and setting a notice out front that indicated that it was being cleaned, Sal set to work.

Mewtwo was enjoying himself, but not quite in the way Sal might have expected. He was currently tinkering with the EKG he had previously broken. The metal casing had been tossed onto the bed, and the machine's innards littered the floor.

As the two human females had left his presence a few hours ago, it had occurred to Mewtwo that Sal being required to stay here and work simply would not do. No, he needed to regain his former strength as soon as possible, and that would require that they train in order to defeat that accursed Scyther and move onwards in his Trainer's quest to...Mewtwo paused. To do what exactly? To become a Pokémon Master, like so many other Trainer's aspired to be? Mewtwo realized that he didn't know what this girl's motivation behind her journey was, but shook the thought from his head. What this psychic female wished to do with her life was irrelevant. He returned his focus to the EKG he was repairing.

Despite his tendency to destroy objects when enraged, or even mildly irritated- a tendency only made worse by his abilities- Mewtwo did find a slight pleasure in restoring that which had been previously destroyed.

His formation of the castle he had once inhabited had been the transgenic's first and only attempt at actually creating something, and he had found the experience exhausting. Not because he lacked the brainpower to do so- certainly not! - but because it was an ordeal that the feline found he simply didn't have the patience for. He simply lacked the interest in creating new things, and he mused upon the realization that creation was an art more commonly associated with Mew, and humans.

He shared their DNA, yet he was quite unlike either of them in both mind and body. He was too strange in body to be accepted by humans, and too strange in mind to be accepted by Pokémon.

He pressed the activation switch with a stubby finger, and nodded to himself in satisfaction as it hummed to life. He replaced the paneling, and then arose from his position to locate his Trainer.

Sal collapsed on the small sofa in the Trainer's lounge, freshly showered and now dressed in a skintight amethyst cami and grey pajama bottoms, her PokéGear in the small side pocket just above her left knee.

She idly scanned through her PokéDex's stats on Mewtwo, taking everything in. _How in the world were they gonna beat Bugsy's Scyther?_

Sal didn't like the idea of simply overpowering opponents - it was a bad habit to get into and she didn't want to start. She needed a new Pokémon, desperately. If only she had caught a Pidgey when she had the chance. Even if she had gotten a Mareep, she would be able to take advantage of the fact that Scyther was also a flying type. But there was little she could do now, except go back through Union Cave. She shuddered at the thought.

She had learned via experimentation that she could access data that listed info on the attacks Pokémon learned. Hesitantly, she found the search field and typed a single name.

Mewtwo.

She hit 'search' and waited for the device to process her request.

Mewtwo

Type- Psychic

There was a basic description of Mewtwo's appearance, as well as an equally basic picture. The rest of the article was skimpy, and repeated her PokéDex entry, as well as the entries for a few other regions, all of which warned against encountering such a dangerous Pokémon, which made sense, but Sal scrolled down to where the moves were normally listed.

The area was blank.

Of course. Sal sighed. This meant that she would have to rely on Mewtwo's ability to recall his moveset, and although she didn't doubt that he could, the idea irritated her. At the sound of someone approaching, Sal looked up. It was Mewtwo, and although he was still bandaged, he was up and walking, which surprised her.

"Speak of the devil," Sal said, snapping her PokéDex shut, missing the flash of anger in Mewtwo's eyes at the expression. Giovanni had often used the expression, and the Rocket Boss had made a point of referring to the psychic as a demon or something of the like in the past. To this day he still resented the saying.

-_Come with me,_- he said, his tone overly controlled.

"Okay." Sal blinked and got up, following Mewtwo to where he was waiting with a confused-looking Nurse Joy.

-_I have fixed what was damaged,_- Mewtwo announced to the pair of them, as he gestured to the repaired EKG.

"Very well, I won't keep you here then," the nurse said, and Sal had the feeling that they had already had some kind of discussion earlier.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and a young girl wearing a yellow dress, her dark hair pulled back into pigtails, came bursting into the room.

"Nurse Joy! Those bad people in town have been the ones who've taken all the Slowpoke away! They took Mr. Kurt too!"

-_The Poké Ball creator?_- Mewtwo had overheard talk of him during the day.

"That's him," Nurse Joy confirmed.

The girl turned to Sal. "Please! You gotta get Mr. Kurt outta there, Miss Trainer! Your Pokémon looks really strong!"

"But Mewtwo's hurt right now..."

Mewtwo's eyes darkened. He didn't like the sound of these black uniformed men. He had a sneaking suspicion of exactly who they were, and he hoped he was wrong.

-_These men who took Kurt away,-_ he addressed the girl, who stared at him, her chocolate brown eyes wide. -_Did they say anything about who the worked for, someone who was in charge?_-

"I heard one of them tell another to tell someone named Proton that they got Mr. Kurt," the girl said hesitantly, and Mewtwo's eyes flashed indigo with rage, his thick brows knotting together.

-_I should have known excrement like them would be involved,_ - the feline snarled, his tail thrashing about. He turned toward the door.

"Wait, Mewtwo where are you going!" Sal exclaimed. "You're still hurt!"

-_Team Rocket has settled themselves into the Slowpoke Well, they must be removed,_- he answered, grabbing a nearby Hyper Potion and applying it to himself. -_We must strike now, by morning it will be too late. How long have they been in Azalea?_ - he asked.

"About two weeks," Nurse Joy began, "But surely you don't plan on fighting them, in your condition!"

-_I have no other option,_- Mewtwo replied. - _Sal, come._- He strode from the room and Sal hurried to catch up with him.

Mewtwo knew that the humans thought he was doing this for the sake of the old man, and he let them, knowing that they would not understand. He was not. The Rocket's were a dangerous breed, and if this operation was headed by Proton, then he knew that he must be cautious. Despite the fact that they were no longer aware of his existence, Mewtwo was not as powerful as he once was. He would have to be cunning. All was not lost though. If his memory served him well enough - and it always did- he would learn the move now known to Trainers as Future Sight shortly.

Years ago, Giovanni was careful to only allow him to know techniques that his private Pokémon scientists understood, and during that time, Future Sight had not been one of them.

However they weren't above stealing experimental Technical Machines from the Pokémon Institute either. The Agent known as 009 or "The Black Tulip" had worked with her peers to create a powerful new move that she named the "Shadow Ball." Once the initial testing was complete, she snuck a copy of the TM out of the lab and into the hands of Giovanni, who had taught Mewtwo the technique.

Despite the circumstances leading up to his acquiring the move, it was one that he was fond of, and the transgenic wished that it was among his moveset now.

Shoving his thoughts aside, he descended into the spacious cave alongside the well after his Trainer. In the dim light, he could easily make out the forms of five hostages, and as he approved them silently, he recognized the auras of Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Shooting the pale-haired girl behind him a glare to ensure her silence, Mewtwo knelt behind Meowth. Unable to loosen the knot with his strange hands, and lacking claws like most felines, he worked at the knot with his teeth, glad that despite his dental similarities with humans, that his canines and incisors were as sharp as knives, and that his jaws had at least five times the crushing power that a human's did.

After making short work of the rope, the larger feline stood as the smaller scampered off to release his friends, as well as Kurt's captive Golduck.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" A voice carried to them through the darkness and Mewtwo's eyes narrowed to slits as the harsh rays of a high powered flashlight bombarded the company.

Proton. Mewtwo's hackles rose at the knowledge of his presence- he was a feared Executive among the ranks of Team Rocket. Although Mewtwo had never come face-to-face with him, due to Mewtwo being a part of the Combat Division during the time he had been inoculated into Team Rocket, the man's reputation preceded him. "Prisoners being released? I can't have that." The sound of someone snapping their fingers resounded through the cave, and other Rockets swarmed around them. "I strongly encourage you not to interfere in our business!"

"Mewtwo! Confusion!" The girl commanded him. Deciding that he agreed with her choice, Mewtwo let loose a Confusion psywave that acted more like a miniature Psychic, and yells of pain resounded through the cave.

"Are you serious? Did you come here thinking you could mess with our plans? Zubat, Supersonic!" Proton commanded, and a Zubat swooped towards the gray feline's head. Mewtwo's pupils retracted in pain as his hearing was overloaded by the attack. Unsure if his Trainer was ordering him to attack or not, Mewtwo let loose a Confusion that he sensed hit its mark.

Growling, Proton sent forth another Pokémon, a Koffing.

"It doesn't matter where we go, there's always someone that doesn't agree with us...Now, Poison Gas!" Mewtwo read the Rocket Executive's lips as he ordered his Koffing to attack.

The Pokémon obeyed, and Mewtwo held his breath as he landed another Confusion. He could feel the aftereffects of the Supersonic dissipating, and he could hear his Trainer and Proton exchanging words.

"Grr... For a kid to be this good... I didn't see it coming."

"Why don't you be more careful about who you mess with then? Wasn't Team Rocket broken up three years ago anyways?" the girl growled, and Mewtwo felt as if he might strike her for her stupidity. She clearly had no idea how dangerous a man Proton was.

"Humph... Team Rocket was indeed broken up three years ago, " Proton conceded. "But we continued our activities underground," he said with a smirk that caused Mewtwo's eyes to narrow in anger. "A small obstacle like you won't be much of a problem for our mission. I advise you to be very afraid of what is to come!"

He ordered all of his units to pull out, and Mewtwo waited as they performed a flawless retreat.

Proton. There had been something in the turquoise-haired man's eyes for a moment when the girl had commanded him to attack. Mewtwo pondered over this a minute while his Trainer conversed with the others and discovered that the Rockets had been taking the local wild Slowpoke hostage and chopping their tails off for sale. She and the others seemed horrified, but Mewtwo cared little. Slowpoke were dull-witted creatures, and their tails would grow back. In terms of what Team Rocket was capable of, it was a job that even the lowest grunt could pull off in their sleep. It was a simple fund building operation, and it was that, as well as Proton's final words that troubled Mewtwo. An Executive never made an idle threat.

Miles away, sitting in a black hummer, Proton was speaking into a slim black PDA. "Archer...It's Proton. A young Trainer stopped our operation. It isn't a total loss though... We have all the funds we need to proceed with Phase I of the mission, correct?" He nodded to the absent speaker. "Oh, I beg to differ, you'll find her very interesting indeed, I'm sure. Because the Pokémon this Trainer defeated me with... was Mewtwo." He paused again as the other person on the line spoke. "Yes, I'm positive it's the same one from the Mt. Quena mission," he said, flapping up in his hand a large, grey photo that looked as if it had been taken by satellite, before placing it beside a second photo of Sal and Mewtwo, taken moments ago. "I have a comparison photo right here, as well as a name on our mystery Trainer. Sal Zarrisia."

"Sir, we've arrived," the driver announced. Proton nodded at him.

"Yes, that's it...Control the girl...control Mewtwo."


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Aw, c'mon, you can do better than that, can't you?" Sal's disdainful tone carried out across the small clearing behind Kurt's home, where the Poké Ball master had allowed the pair of them to train.

Mewtwo's sweat-soaked forepaws slipped on the smooth, pale bark of the white apricorn tree and he fell to the ground.

"C'mon, gimme another ten chin ups, " Sal said, and Mewtwo repressed another groan of annoyance.

As the psychic began again, Sal walked over to where Kurt had come out the back door with an iron tray. On it were six of the specialty Poké Balls that Kurt was known for crafting. Sal smiled at the sight of the three Fast Balls, knowing that they came from the tree that Mewtwo was currently sweating all over. The others were Lure Balls, the latter being used to capture Pokémon hooked by a rod, the former to catch Pokémon that fled often.

"Thanks again for the Balls Kurt!" Sal said, and the old man grunted in response.

"It's the least I can do for helpin' me out with those Rockets," the man answered. "If you find any apricorns, bring 'em to me."

After bidding the man a final farewell a few hours later, Sal and Mewtwo made a few other stops around town before finally making their way to the Azalea Gym for their second confrontation with Bugsy.

"So you two are back again, huh?" Bugsy said when he caught sight of them as they entered his gym.

"You won't win as easily as last time," Sal said, and as Bugsy called forth his Scyther, the match began.

"Scyther, U-Turn!" Bugsy commanded, and the Bug type rushed at Mewtwo, slamming into him for a super-effective hit before rushing back to his Poké Ball, allowing Bugsy to send out another Pokémon.

"Go, Beedrill!" Its wings fluttering, the Bug and Poison hybrid fluttered into the air and dove at Mewtwo.

"Confusion!" Sal commanded, and the Beedrill went down quickly.

"Finish it, Scyther!"

With a scream, the Scyther launched itself at Mewtwo. "U-Turn!" Bugsy cried, and the psychic staggered back.

In response, Mewtwo's body glowed fuchsia for a moment. Bugsy's Scyther braced itself and prepared for an unknown psychic attack, but nothing happened. Bugsy blinked in surprise, but ordered the Bug type to attack with Fury Cutter.

"Oh no, not this time. Mewtwo, Disable!" Sal commanded, and as the Scyther's blade bit deep into Mewtwo's arm, he bound the move with his power, and the Scyther hissed in anger.

Suddenly, a brilliant fuchsia light filled the room, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere as it struck Scyther hard. Bugsy cried out as his Pokémon was attacked. As the mantis staggered to its feet, Sal looked to her own Pokémon.

"Was that…Future Sight?" Sal asked, having heard stories about the odd Psychic type attack.

-_I believe so,_- Mewtwo replied, holding his bleeding arm. –_ I have never used the attack before, so I cannot be certain._-

Finish it, Scyther! U-Turn!" Sal watched as the mantis struck Mewtwo again, and the graceful feline tried to turn away, but he moved too quickly, and cried out as his ankle twisted. Caught off balance as Scyther attacked, Mewtwo crashed to the ground, defeated.

"Looks like I win again. Better luck next time Sal," Bugsy said good-naturedly and grasped his Poké Ball to recall Scyther.

"Who said I was out of Pokémon?" Sal responded, and reached for a second Ball on her bag strap. Bugsy cursed under his breath – he had noticed the second Ball before they had began, and had thus chosen Beedrill to fight alongside Scyther, but in the heat of the battle, he had forgotten about it.

"Go, Growlie! Flamethrower!" The little Growlithe burst from the red and white Poké Ball, giving a barking cry before incinerating the Scyther with the attack, as Sal's mind withdrew to when the Fire type had come into her possession a few hours prior.

"_Hey why the long face Sal?" Meowth asked her as he and James spotted the Trainer studying from a book on Pokémon battle strategies in the Trainer's Lounge._

"_I'm trying to figure out how in the world Mewtwo and I are gonna beat Bugsy," Sal responded with a frown._

"_Well," James said slowly, "I suppose I could let you borrow Growlie here, as long as you promise to take care of him." The Growlithe beside him barked happily at the idea of taking on an opponent as powerful as a Scyther._

_Sal frowned. "I appreciate the offer James, but how are we gonna do that; I can't battle with a Pokémon that isn't mine in a gym match."_

_**-Could you not go somewhere beyond the town, and catch a common Pokémon - a Zubat perhaps - and perform a trade, and simply trade back after the battle? – **__Mewtwo asked, his tail swishing behind him as his eyes darkened in thought. –__**And if you have no need for the Zubat, simply release it afterwards. -**_

"_Hey, now that could work," James said._

As the flames vanished from sight, Sal's mind snapped back to the present. Bugsy gave her the Hive Badge she had won, as well as a TM containing U-Turn. Thanking him, Sal left in a rush, trying to get back to the Pokémon Center before James had to get to work.

With Mewtwo fully recovered from the battle, Growlie returned to his rightful owner, and after the Zubat was released where Sal had caught it, Sal and Mewtwo headed west out of town towards the mysterious Ilex Forest. According to legend, it was said to be the home of the Legendary Celebi, the region master of Johto. Mewtwo had confirmed that the legends were indeed true, and that it was even possible that they might catch sight of the Legendary herself, as Legendaries were always attracted to powerful beings. But there was equal chance that they wouldn't simply because at the moment, Mewtwo was a shadow of his former self in terms of his capabilities.

"Hey!" Sal turned around at the sound of someone calling her name and saw it was none other than Damien.

-_Keep going, ignore him, - _Mewtwo advised, but for reasons he couldn't fathom his Trainer was rooted to the spot. Foolish girl! Was it admiration or fear that paralyzed her? Mewtwo had no way of knowing with this human female. – _Ignore him, he is not worth your time. –_ She acted as if she hadn't heard him, however.

"So tell me," Damien said as he approached, his read hair blowing in the wind, "Who was it that beat Team Rocket?'

"We did, why do you have a problem with that?" Sal growled.

"No, on the contrary, I find that most impressive," Damien remarked with a smile, causing Sal to blink in confusion. "I've seen many men attempt to control Mewtwo and fail, and to find that you are able to control it with such apparent ease…" he clapped his hands slowly. "I applaud your efforts, Sal." He paused for a moment in thought. "Tell me, is it because you're a psychic that it listens to you? The others never thought of that." He chuckled and brushed a wayward strand of hair from his face as Mewtwo gave a low growl.

Sal's amethyst eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed into burning slits. "Tell me how you know so much about Mewtwo. "

"Oh, Mewtwo and I are old friends… Or didn't it tell you, hmm? " Damien chuckled. "You're even prettier when you're angry; your eyes are like shards of cut amethyst – pleasing to the eye, but deadly if touched. "

_- Leave the human female alone! _– Mewtwo snarled as the red haired young man approached, his eyes indigo with wrath and his barely contained psychic power.

"Oh, so you're giving me orders now, that's rich!" Damien chuckled. "Well, Sal, how about we have a battle, hmm? I believe you would be an opponent worth battling." He released a Zubat from its Poké Ball, and the bat-like creature fluttered drunkenly in the air.

"Mewtwo Future Sight!" Sal commanded.

"Zubat, Supersonic!" Damien countered and Sal frowned as the Pokémon attacked.

"His Pokémon…they're so sad," Sal said quietly as she noticed their auras, but pushed her worry for them aside.. "Mewtwo, Confusion!"

The attack hit, and with a growl, Damien recalled his Pokémon. "You just got lucky. That Zubat was weak. Go Gastly!"

The dark violet ball of gaseous spectral material that made up Gastly burst forth from the Poké Ball, and it immediately complained about being out in the sunlight. Like all Ghost types, Gastly were nocturnal creatures.

"Enough with your complaining!" Damien barked. "Now attack with Night Shade!"

Mewtwo fell to the ground, grunting in pain. Fortunately for him, his Future Sight struck then, annihilating Damien's Gastly in a blaze of fuchsia light in a super-effective, critical hit.

"Mewtwo, are you okay?" Sal asked, coming over to him to apply a much-needed Super Potion.

_- I'm fine, -_ the psychic replied tersely, his eyes affixed to the white and red sphere in Damien's hand, nearly ignoring his Trainer as she tended to him. As Damien released his final Pokémon, a Bayleef, Mewtwo strode forward.

"Mewtwo, Swift!" Sal commanded and the Bayleef cried out as it was stuck.

"Synthesis!" Damien cried out and the Pokémon began to absorb the sun's light, photosynthesizing to restore health.

"Disable!" Sal countered, as Mewtwo made the move unusable.

"Posionpowder!" Mewtwo tried to avoid breathing in the toxic spores, but his efforts failed, and he growled in annoyance as they also settled into his sensitive hide. He suppressed the urge to cough, and at Sal's command, attacked with a Confusion that ended the fight.

"Humph, I only lost because these Pokémon were weak," Damien said, recalling his Pokémon and striding over to Sal. As he reached into his pocket, Mewtwo tensed, but he simply withdrew his black leather wallet, in order to hand over her winnings for the match. As Sal took the money and put it away, she straightened up to find Damien suddenly very close.

-_Get away from her! – _Mewtwo snarled, as Damien revealed another item in his hands.

It was an amethyst pendant, the stone cut in an elongated diamond design. Bands of white gold crisscrossed and entwined themselves around the shard, before merging themselves together at either end of the pendant. Damien reached forward and affixed the extravagant thing about Sal's neck, and as he withdrew his hands, he allowed his right to rest beneath her chin. Sal fought against the mental agony that his touch was causing her, even though she knew that it showed on her face. She realized that there was another sensation there as well, an odd fluttering in her chest. _Damien was just an ordinary guy after all, how was he supposed to know that he was hurting her? _her mind reasoned for a moment, and Sal found that she had no argument against the thought.

"Keep it," he said, his voice like velvet, and Sal blinked in surprise. "Consider it… payment for wrongdoing. "

As he turned away from them, Sal, called out, " Isn't there someone else you'd rather give this to?!" She had never owned any jewelry before, and for someone to simply give her something this extravagant…Sal didn't know what to do.

"No," Damien answered, and as another breeze tousled his long hair he continued. "Why would I give someone else something I bought for you?"

"For me?" Sal's voice came out a whisper. She stared down at the money in her hand and realization swept over her. "Hey, you overpaid me!" She ran over to him, counting out the money she was rightfully due and thrust the rest back at him.

"What, do you have a problem with my money?" he asked. As Mewtwo said yes, while Sal said no, the red haired young man smirked. "Keep the money, I don't want it. "

-_No, but I know what you want, _- Mewtwo growled, and his hand glowed indigo. With a flick of his wrist, the necklace was torn from Sal's neck and it fell into the dirt at Sal's feet. Damien reached down to pick it up, his expression blank.

"Mewtwo!" Sal turned on her Pokémon, "He's trying to say he's sorry!"

-_You foolish girl, he's trying to manipulate you, it's what his kind do best!-_

"His kind? I don't know what kinds of people you've been around Mewtwo, but humans aren't all bad!"

Mewtwo pupils widened. –_ Sal, you misunderstand me, Damien is- _-

"Return!" Sal commanded, and before Mewtwo could finish, he was sucked inside the Ball.

" Humph, it got your necklace dirty," Damien remarked with a scowl of annoyance. He withdrew a red handkerchief from his pocket. A black letter was embroidered into the cloth – was it a P?- but Damien's pale hands covered that corner of the kerchief quickly. "It didn't break the chain though, " he added, and it dawned on Sal that he had been referring to Mewtwo.

"He never gave me a choice. He was making it for me," Sal muttered. "I'm sorry about that."

"That Mewtwo and I," Damien said slowly with a sigh. "We had differences of opinion, but now I see that it was right… about the monster I once called my father.'

"I'll tell him," Sal said quietly, not entirely sure what to make of Damien in this moment.

"Don't you dare!" he said suddenly, and shook his head violently, as if trying to shake something unpleasant from his head. "The last thing it needs is the ability to rub my past mistakes in my face." He held out the necklace again, and with her eyes full of uncertainty, Sal grasped the item, and affixed it around her neck. When she looked up, Damien was gone.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Sal stalked into the depths of Ilex Forest, her mind still reeling with her encounter with Damien. _What had Mewtwo gotten so worked up over?_ she wondered. _It was just a necklace._ She fingered the gem subconsciously. Did he really think that she was that shallow, that she was the kind of girl to be swayed so easily? Mewtwo wanted her to distrust him so quickly, and yet the psychic Pokémon had even more darkness in his aura than Damien did. _Was she putting her trust in the wrong being? _Sal wondered. _If she was giving Mewtwo the benefit of the doubt, didn't Damien deserve the same? _The Master Ball clipped to her bag strap began to vibrate and thrash upon its magnetic clasp, but Sal ignored it.

"No, I'm not letting you out," Sal said to the empty air - knowing that by his own admission, Mewtwo couldn't hear her, but not caring at the moment. Sal found that she was actually enjoying the quiet of the forest, and strangely enough, the absence of Mewtwo's scrutinizing gaze. Now that she was alone, she realized how tense she was around him. She thought about it a bit and realized that at every turn, Mewtwo had always been ready to make a comment about something she was doing incorrectly and now that he was safely in his Ball…it was an odd feeling, this quiet that had enveloped her. The trees overshadowed the sun, they grew so tall and close together, and it was only by the absence of the lattice patterns that the trees and sun cast on the soft earth beneath her feet that Sal knew night had fallen.

Sal paused in her walking for a moment as she came to a clearing, and as she did so, Mewtwo burst from his Ball in a flash of white light, startling his Trainer.

-_What is the matter with you? Why did you imprison me in that damnable machine? _– The psychic Pokémon's tail twisted and thrashed behind him.

"Because I didn't feel like listening to your crap," Sal said bluntly, and Mewtwo looked like he wanted to hit her. He looked away instead, taking a breath to calm himself. He hated the Ball, and now that he was free from it, he was ravenous – he hadn't eaten anything since this morning. "Doesn't Damien deserve the same benefit of the doubt you do?" she said, her tone less harsh.

Perhaps there was truth to her words, the psychic relented as hunger coiled within him, threatening to make itself audibly known. Mewtwo lapsed into silence, deciding that it was better to speak only when he had control of himself.

"So, what, you're giving me the silent treatment now?" Sal said bitterly. "If the only words you care to hear from me are battle commands, then here-" She thrust the purple and silver sphere at him again, and only now did Mewtwo realize that the Ball had a similar coloration to himself. With a deft twist of his tail, he struck the Ball from her grasp, halting its fall with his telekinesis and drawing it to him.

-_Few things on this earth are worse than Poké_ _Balls, especially when one is within them for any length of time, – _he said, his tone careful as he spoke slowly, returning the sphere that bound him to her. He had no desire to verbally spar with her, as he could see her discomfort as it became evident in her aura. –_I was not silent out of malice, but out of caution._ - He sighed, and at that moment his stomach vied for his attention. Mewtwo's brows knitted together in annoyance.

Sal's expression however couldn't have been more astonished, and she mentally berated herself for being so careless as to let a Pokémon in his condition go without food for that long as she hastily scraped together a meal of rice and canned veggies. "I really can't stand canned foods, they're not very good for you," she said, trying to fill the silence. " But we'll have to make do, I guess." Mewtwo gazed at the flames of her small cooking fire intently, and when the food was finally ready he attacked it viciously, barely caring when he scalded his tongue in the process.

Sal remarked jokingly that the food wasn't going anywhere, and as she finished, she sat calmly and watched him eat. To the Trainer's surprise there was actually at least a bowlful left over.

"Are you going to eat that?" she asked, pointing a fork at the remains of their dinner.

-_I can eat no more, - _Mewtwo answered her, settling back on his haunches, his tail curling around over the tops of his toes to keep out the evening chill. Sal drew closer to the fire to take the pot off, and yelped, recoiling from the flames. Mewtwo's head jerked up with the sound and his tail swept behind him as he stood in alarm. –_What happened? –_

"I got too close to the fire," Sal answered with a grimace, holding her heat-burned hand close to her body.

As Mewtwo made to move towards her, a shape moved in the darkness, catching the feline's attention. A tall Bug type Pokémon emerged hesitantly from the foliage, exposing herself to the pair. The firelight danced across the surface of her shiny red exoskeleton, and her rose pink aura pulsed. In the light, Sal could see that there was something odd about this female Scizor – spider web-thin strands of deep crimson wound themselves about her form, giving her a richer, darker hue than the screaming fire truck red that was the norm, and Sal decided that she preferred the imperfection. Her gossamer wings fluttered, betraying the nervousness her deep umber eyes attempted to hide.

"Mewtwo?" her voice was a low alto, as was common for her race. She spoke in a hushed tone, as if he were a trick of the forest's gloom and might vanish on her in an instant.

-_Come, join us,_ - Mewtwo bade the newcomer, and the female came over to huddle around the small fire on Mewtwo's left. Sal offered her what remained of their food, and the female Pokémon took it gratefully. -_You need not fear myself, nor the human. It has been a long time, -_ Mewtwo replied, turning towards her. -_I have missed you, - _he said slowly, as if the confession was a difficult thing for him to express.

"I missed you as well, guardian," the Scizor said softly.

"Guardian?" Sal asked. "What does she mean Mewtwo?"

- _Years ago, I lived among a small group of Pokémon in the harsh mountain ranges north of Johto, acting as their guardian from that which would harm them. This Scizor was among the group, although she was a Scyther at the time. But tell us,-_ Mewtwo addressed the Scizor, -_What became of you afterwards? –_

"Well," the Scizor began "For a time, I found acceptance into one of the swarms near Mt. Quena, but I was captured by a human named Anthony. At first, I was afraid of him – humans can be cruel, I knew and from all that I had heard and witnessed, Pokémon Trainers doubly so – but Anthony seemed to somehow understand my fear and was always kind to me, no matter how I lashed out at him during our early days," she closed her eyes, remembering. "We grew fond of one another, this human and I, but Anthony always worried that he didn't have the strength as a Trainer to allow me to reach my full potential, until the day he found a Metal Coat. He happened across an old friend of his, another Trainer named Brutus, and believing him to be 'of a decent sort' as he put it, he traded me to Brutus in exchange for the Trainer's Onix, who also held a Metal Coat. However instead of trading me back to my beloved Trainer as they had agreed, Brutus fled with my Ball."

Sal and Mewtwo eyes held duplicate expressions of fury, and although a similar look flashed across the storyteller's face, it was one that had lost its potency as time healed that dreadful wound shut.

"I soon found that Brutus was the opposite of Anthony in every way, and I despised him for every injustice done to me, be it by him or by the other members of his Pokémon party. I could not break free of him; I was bound by the ball that held me. But Clara, a sister of Brutus, shattered my Ball and freed me."

Opening her right pincer fully, the Scizor allowed the red Cherish Ball she had been holding onto to slip forward into view. "This Ball was Clara's prized possession, and she told me to present it to Anthony, should I find him, or to any other Trainer who I found worthy." The pair was silent for a while as their guest's words sank in.

"It seems," the Scizor said slowly, uncertain as to whether or not the male Pokémon would take offense, " That the years after we parted ways have been kinder to me than to you. "

Noting his starved form for a moment, Mewtwo was inclined to agree with her. –_I suppose there is truth in your words,_ - he said

"But tell me, how is it that you, of all Pokémon on this earth, find yourself owned by a human?"

- _The girl does not own me, she has stated so herself._ – He flicked his tail in annoyance. – _She does not hold me against my will. She is unique among humans, in more ways than simply in her way of thinking._ - The prompted the telling of the story of Sal, and of her Pokémon journey thus far.

The Scizor frowned. Like all Pokémon, she could gauge the strength of another, and her former guardian's abilities seemed lacking. She voiced her concern, and Mewtwo gazed at the fire for a long while before answering.

- _Suffice it to say that an encounter with Mew resulted in the loss of my power, _- Mewtwo said tersely as the Scizor formerly known as Scythertwo gazed at Sal, her expression thoughtful.

"I hope that you find Anthony," Sal said. "He sounds like one of the good Trainers, and it's people like Brutus that make all of the others look bad." Her tone was weary from fatigue, but her eyes burned with the passion of her true feelings on the matter.

At Mewtwo's urging, Sal and the Scizor slept, and Sal awoke the next morning to the familiar smell of cinnamon and maple sugar oatmeal. However it was not Mewtwo who sat preparing breakfast as was normal, but Scizor.

"Sal?" The Scizor addressed her directly for the first time as the girl sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Mewtwo was slumped against a nearby tree, fast asleep.

"Yeah?"

"If you aren't against the idea…I would like to join you and Mewtwo on your journey," she said, and Sal blinked, her mind still in a sleep induced haze.

"But what about Anthony?"

"I have no way of knowing if I will ever find him again, and even so, it has been quite some time since I was wild," she replied, and since Sal had no reason to refuse, she grasped the offered Cherish Ball. In moments, the deed was done, and as Sal released Scizor from the Ball, she looked over at the sleeping Mewtwo. "I awoke in the earliest hours of the morning, and we talked for a long time," she said. "We rarely spoke before when he served as our guardian – when he wasn't actively protecting us, he wandered the area, and all but two of us dared to approach him, out of uncertainty, but for years after we parted ways, I regretted not becoming better acquainted with him. There came a time shortly before we all left that mountain that he nearly left this world in his attempt to keep us safe." Scizor closed her eyes. "You must understand, among my kind, that is the highest sacrifice and form of honor that one can give to another. I am forever in his debt. " The Scizor lapsed into silence again as Sal made to pack up their things.

"I have a request of you," the bug type said suddenly.

"What is it?" The Trainer returned quizzically, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder, ensuring that Mewtwo's cape was rolled tightly and wouldn't fall from the pack.

"Would you…give me a name? Anthony always thought that I deserved a proper name, but he said that he could never find one that suited me properly."

Sal thought for a long time. Across from her, Mewtwo awoke, stretching himself out in a decidedly feline manner before sitting back on his haunches to observe the other two. "I think," she said, gazing at the Scizor, observing her pale aura, "that we will call you…"

It was Mewtwo who finished - speaking a single word, as the tiniest of smiles graced his muzzle.

-_Rose.-_


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"Ok, let's take a break," Sal said, picking a patch of nice green grass by the side of the road. She released Rose from her odd red Cherish Ball and the Scizor wandered about as Mewtwo sat in the grass, plucking at the green blades with his thick fingers.

"I wonder what that building there is," Rose remarked, nodding her head at a large blue edifice in the distance.

"I've heard of that place," Sal said. "It's supposed to be a Pokémon Day Care. People bring their Pokémon there and the staff there raises them, for a fee." Her nose wrinkled a bit as another thought came to her.

-_What is it? _- Mewtwo asked, noticing her expression as he looked up from destroying the grass between his large feet.

"It's just... A lot of Trainers use Pokémon Day Care centers as a cheap breeding center," she said uncomfortably. " I've heard stories... Sometimes the females are forced..." the psychic human shuddered.

-_And… your point is?_ - Her psychic Pokémon cocked an eyebrow. -_You make it sound like it's such a terrible thing. _-

"I wouldn't want to be forced to mate with someone!" Sal shuddered at the thought. "Especially when most of the time, it's a stranger!"

-_You take the matter far too seriously. Breeding is simply a necessity of life. It is the same as the need for shelter, or food._ -

"But they make them mate for all to see! I've heard of some Trainers who watch the whole thing just to make sure the egg is laid!" the girl shook her head. "It's just… can't they at least have some privacy?!"

"Why are you so upset?" Rose asked, her brow furrowing. "Forced breeding is simply to be expected among Pokémon, oftentimes it is necessary for any given male to continue his bloodline."

-_Humans may find such an arrangement disgraceful, but Pokémon do not, _- Mewtwo told her. -_As I understand it, Pokémon females are normally satisfied in bearing young, the manner in which they were conceived becomes irrelevant. _-

"I've always considered having children," Sal's bug-type added.

"I'm still not sure about all this." Sal crossed her arms. "Can't they at least have some kind of room that they'll breed Pokémon in to give them some privacy? I just think that it's harsh of Trainers to be so inconsiderate."

-_You simply need to understand that we do not take the concept of breeding as you do. -_ Mewtwo crossed his arms, and his eyes narrowed slightly. -_Breeding is necessary. There are no emotions involved._ -

"But wouldn't it be easier for the mother if she actually bred with another Pokémon that she liked? That would help her take care of her young?" The Trainer still wasn't convinced.

-_Ideally, yes. Pokémon will breed for life unless they are separated from their mate. But if they are, then there is no trouble in finding a new one._ -

"Having your mate there might help a little bit, but most of the raising is up to the mother, anyway," Rose said softly, thinking aloud.

"Well what about you, Mewtwo?" Sal asked him. "Haven't you ever wanted to find a mate?"

"Males don't view mating in quite the same way that females do, and our friend here would be rather limited in his choice of a mate," Rose said.

"Well what about a Gardevoir?" Sal asked. "They're pretty, and Psychic types too." Rose nodded and smiled in agreement.

-_ I have heard of Gardevoir, yet I have never met one. Not that it would matter, _- Mewtwo interrupted. -_To answer your initial question Sal, I have never desired a mate because I am infertile._ - The girl's grins abruptly vanished.

"You're… infertile?" the Trainer blinked.

-_Yes. I am a genetic experiment, created by splicing Mew DNA into a human embryo. Genetic material of a few other Pokémon is also present in my DNA, but my genetic structure is primarily a mix of Mew and human base pairs. Because of the unique combination of my genes, I cannot breed,_ - he said, as passively as if he was describing the weather. - _In addition, even if I possessed the desire to mate based on my emotions - as a human male would- my physiology is no different than any other feline Pokémon in that respect. It would take a rather masochistic female to desire me as a mate, _- the psychic said, smirking in private amusement. The feline's quiet mirth only increased as he saw that his ill humor had swept completely over the heads of both females present.

"Okay…." Sal said slowly. "So… you aren't attracted to human females, and other Pokémon females in heat don't really affect you either?"

-_No._ -

"I heard that humans will go into heat, but that is the only time that they cannot conceive children." Rose blinked. " It is so odd. Is that true, Sal?"

"Yeah and it's horrible," Sal growled. "You Pokémon have no idea how lucky you are. "

-_How is it you think us fortunate?_ - Mewtwo blinked. His Trainer shook her head, surprised that someone as clearly as intelligent as he had such little knowledge regarding women, especially since he had claimed to be well acquainted with the anatomy of human females. Then again, she knew next to nothing about Pokémon males in that aspect, so she had no room to razz him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but most Pokémon only go into heat once, maybe twice a year, " Sal said. Her Pokémon nodded. " Well, human females like me deal with it EVERY MONTH."

"…Oh." Rose blinked. "But then why is it that when you DO go into heat that you can't conceive?"

"It's because it's not 'going into heat.' It's called a girl's period. It's when… well..." Sal looked away, and shook her head, scarcely believing that she was actually having to explain this to someone, even if it was just her Pokémon. " It's basically when, after a month of an egg not being fertilized, the body sheds it. We ovulate every month, which is why we can get pregnant any other day. Or so I've been told," Sal was glad that she was talking to her Pokémon about this subject, there was no way she would have been able to come out and express such a thing to a human.

"Oh, that makes sense…" Rose mumbled. "But it is rather different."

"And during that time, I get cramps, headaches and I'm more moody than he is," Sal said jabbing a thumb at Mewtwo.

-_Therefore, be sure to warn us when the time does come._ -

"I never warned you before!" Sal rolled her eyes. "You never complained."

After a few more minutes, Sal and her team of two continued onward into Goldenrod City. With the City's Gym Leader apparently out of the Gym at the moment, and it being midday, the Pokémon Center was virtually uninhabited. After handing her Pokémon over to Nurse Joy, as was the routine, Sal made her way to the battered computer in the corner, and accessed an Internet search engine. She found the information she was looking for quickly enough, and read her webpage with an odd sense of foreboding and urgency.

-_What are you reading?_ - Sal jumped when she found the Psychic type behind her.

"Nothing!" she said defensively, hastily closing the webpage and clearing the search engine's history in a few deft keystrokes. "I'd better go check on Rose," the girl stammered, and quickly removed herself from her Pokémon's dumbfounded gaze.

His curiosity now thoroughly aroused, Mewtwo accessed the web browser's history, chuckling to himself at the fact that Sal had neglected to erase it in her haste to leave him. His amusement increased tenfold as he discovered the identity of the webpage that his Trainer had been so quick to hide from his view.

It was an article describing the mating behaviors and physiology of male felines –and by extension, feline Pokémon- nothing more.

Mewtwo was privately grateful that Sal had chosen such a discreet method of obtaining her information – the idea of her actually asking him about himself in that way made him squirm uncomfortably. He obliterated the computer's browser history, and while he was at the machine, decided that he might as well improve it's capabilities somewhat, and began cleaning the rest of the machine's system. Despite the fact that he was limited to only improving the software of the decrepit machine, it was working satisfactorily minutes later.

Sal came in then, with Rose's Ball in its usual topmost position on her bag. "I heard that the Gym Leader, Whitney, is somewhere near the Radio Tower, trying to take advantage of a Radio Card giveaway that they're having," she said. "So are you ready to go?"

Mewtwo nodded, and they left the Pokémon Center in search of the famous Goldenrod Radio Tower, and then the Gym.

"I can't believe that we actually have a bit of extra spending money!" Sal said as she and Mewtwo exited the gym. "But man, did Whitney really have to cry about losing? Kinda embarrassing for a Gym Leader don'tcha think?" she asked her Pokémon, giving him a sidelong glance.

-_If I was not well acquainted with you, I would come to the conclusion that you are more excited about your winnings than the badge we earned. _- Mewtwo remarked, gazing at the Plain Badge nestled in its proper place in Sal's badge case before snapping the wallet sized case closed and handing it over to Sal, who pocketed it.

"Hey don't get me wrong, we need the badge too," Sal said with a laugh, " but we're in _Goldenrod_. The shopping capital of Johto!"

-_I suppose you do bring a valid point, -_ Mewtwo said as he followed Sal down a set of stairs that led into Goldenrod's Underground. Many Trainers lined the walls and darker corners of its passages, but a sharp glare or a growl from Mewtwo was enough to keep the unscrupulous ones at bay. –_Why are we here? –_

"You'll see," Sal said quietly. She seemed to study Mewtwo for a moment and then approached two young men behind a large countertop. They exchanged pleasantries briefly before Sal's speech made it evident as to why they were here.

"He just needs a bit of a trim I think," Sal was saying as the taller and elder looking of the two men eyed Mewtwo and nodded, "- and my Scizor could use a polish too. She answers to Rose." Sal handed over the other Ball and the younger man took it, releasing Rose.

- _Sal? Where are you going? – _Mewtwo still wasn't exactly sure what was going on, and he disliked the feeling.

"Nowhere Mewtwo, sheesh," Sal said as she sat down across the hall from them. She looked up at Mewtwo. " You act like no one's ever taken you to get your fur cut before."

- _No one ever has, - _Mewtwo said. His fur never seemed to grow thick or rapidly, it was always thin and only recently had he noted that it seemed to be getting long, giving him a slightly shaggy appearance.

The psychic feline eyed the man's razor nervously, his form trembling under the stranger's unfamiliar fingers. Had he been a species of Pokémon capable of moving his ears, they would be flat against his skull in displeasure. As it was, the psychic's violet eyes were narrowed to slits, the heavy bows knitted together.

However, Mewtwo knew that the ordeal was a necessary evil, and as the razor buzzed nosily as it was manipulated by the expert hand that guided it, he admitted to himself that he didn't care much for his current appearance. The razor's insectoid hum died, and Mewtwo shook himself on instinct, marveling at the silken mess on the floor, scarcely believing that all of it had come from him. He allowed himself to be cleansed of whatever hairs of his now short-trimmed fur still clung to his skin to irritate him before stepping away to stand beside his Trainer as she thanked the salonist. Rose was soon finished as well, and Mewtwo gave a slight inclination of his head to show his approval at the Scizor's now-gleaming armor, noting how the trailing markings on her body – the remnants of the markings he had coded into her DNA as a Scyther - looked all the more stunning now.

Not bothering to recall Rose, Sal motioned the pair of them to follow her. League regulations dictated that licensed Trainers were only allowed to keep one Pokémon outside of a Poké Ball while within city limits if they were not in a battle or in a designated rest area, and although Mewtwo frowned slightly at his Trainer's bending of the rules, he did not openly object.

"Hey, you should be walking," she remarked, pointing at his feet, which were hovering an inch or two above the ground.

-_Why? – _Mewtwo questioned, his brows furrowing in annoyance. He had always used levitation to move himself about, but for some odd reason, his Trainer would continually insist that he refrain from doing so whenever she happened to notice him.

"Because," she began, "you need to exercise your legs, and you can't do that if you're levitating all the time."

With a slight growl in his throat, Mewtwo lowered himself to the ground, feeling the texture of the cobblestone street beneath his paws for the first time.

He soon discovered that the girl was headed for the Goldenrod Department Store, and resigned himself to spending the rest of the day to following her around, a scowl on his face. After getting into an argument with her over the wisdom of buying one of the overpriced and expensive TM's, the psychic recalled himself to his Ball, surrendering himself to it in the idea that the claustrophobia it induced in him was better that being in her presence. A passing lady who observed their argument presented Sal with a free TM and upon inspection it contained Frustration, much to the Trainer's dismay.

"He didn't even give me a chance to tell him what I was planning to buy," Sal scowled as she pocketed the TM, vowing never to use it. Rose put an arm around her Trainer in an attempt to mimic the human gesture of comfort.

"What TM was that?" Rose asked, and when the psychic Trainer told her, the Scizor smiled. "Go and buy it for him, if you want to. I have learned long ago that it is far better to repay anger with kindness. "

Nodding, Sal did as her other Pokémon suggested and walked over to the counter where the cashier stood, gesturing for one of the TM hanging behind him. Sal paid the hefty sum for the TM, feeling mentally exhausted as she and Rose left, Sal's funds nearly depleted.

In the quiet of her room at the Pokémon Center, Sal pressed the smooth disk to Mewtwo's Ball, watching as the TM's energy was absorbed into it. Most Trainers preferred to release their Pokémon from their Balls when teaching them a TM – admittedly, an ignorant majority believed this was essential for a Pokémon to learn the move properly – but Mewtwo was in as foul a mood as he had been in 30 minutes ago, and refused to extract himself from his Ball. Sal sighed as she stared at the TM's label, ignoring the TM number to focus on the move name.

Psychic.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Sal left Goldenrod City the following morning, and by the time she and her team arrived on Route 35, it was mid afternoon. Although this route was filled with rolling hills, sparkling water and had few wild Pokémon, it was a popular route for Trainer battles. Sal hadn't laid eyes on Mewtwo all morning – she had left him in the care of Nurse Joy last night, and he had confined himself to his Ball ever since.

Rose traveled by her side, her red armor dazzling in the bright sunlight. Sal found herself enjoying the Scizor's quiet company more than Mewtwo's, and in between challenges from the roadside Trainers, the pair of them conversed, and eventually Mewtwo became the topic of their discussion.

"He's just so…critical, I guess," Sal said. " I feel like he's always pointing out my mistakes." She sighed. "If he knows so much about training and battling, then why did he even capture himself in my Dad's old Ball in the first place?"

"Without speaking to him, I have no answer for you, " Rose responded. "I haven't the faintest idea as to what Mewtwo's intentions are, and few who know him ever do. His distancing himself from you is a normal behavior of his – Mewtwo has been hurt much by humans, especially by those that are responsible for his creation. They hunted us down, and would have sought to control and torture us all in their experiments. Mewtwo used his powers to erase their memories of us and of the place that we had once called home before he scattered us to the winds."

What are you talking about?" Sal's brow furrowed confusion, as Rose's golden eyes narrowed.

"You mean that Mewtwo never told you of his past?" Rose frowned as Sal shook her head, explaining how Mewtwo had been vague on his past before he had met her. " I may be able to help you, but I would prefer to talk to him alone, if you don't mind."

Sal shook her head and placed Mewtwo's Ball carefully in the curve of Rose's sharp pincers, taking care to avoid the razor-sharp edges. The Scizor wandered off into the underbrush off the wooded path, and Sal sat on a tree stump and waited.

Once Rose thought herself a suitable distance from her Trainer, she flicked the purple sphere she was carrying to the ground, and caught it as her old friend solidified in front of her, his arms crossed and his usual scowl on his face.

His expression softened slightly as he saw that it was only Rose. Although he was curious as to why his Trainer was not within range of any of his senses, he was glad to be free of both her and the Ball for a moment.

- _Finally I have my freedom in a time outside the latest midnight hours; if only for a while, _- he said and Rose frowned.

"Is that truly how you see your Trainer?" she asked him, her words as sharp as the edges of her pincers. "As an annoyance, as a simple tool to allow you to regain the power that you have lost?"

_-Of course Trainers are tools, as humans view us as tools. Certainly some humans are not overly harsh towards their Pokémon, and some of the more naive species may mistake this for true friendship, yet we are but equipment for their sport, nothing more. Surely there is no harm in me reversing their own scenario on them? -_

"Oh Mewtwo," Rose shook her head. "The world has been harsh on you – perhaps too harsh. Trainers – the good trainers, the truly good humans of this world, like my former Trainer Anthony – their offered friendship is not false, and I suggest that you relax your front of animosity towards her."

-_Front?_ – Mewtwo's eyes narrowed – _I hide nothing_. -

"Nothing except your past." Rose growled. "I began to discuss it with her, believing that you had explained it to her, only to find that you have given the girl no more that the vaguest of hints and have left her in oblivion!"

- _Knowledge of my past - and by extension, your own – is dangerous knowledge. The blood would be on my hands, and who am I to take life? There is no need for her to know, -_ he finished.

"But what will happen when the time comes when she is in danger due to her lack of knowledge, or when your lies no longer appease her curiosity?"

-_Lies? Upon which instance have I lied to her? _-

"An entrancing scythe that dances before it strikes spills blood all the more willingly," Rose responded. "And a blade is either sharp or dull."

- _What? _– Mewtwo brow crumpled.

"It is a pair of sayings among Scyther, meaning that there is only truth and lies, withholding truth is merely a thinly disguised lie, one in which the liar only tricks himself, " Rose said as she stepped closer to his and her golden eyes reflected the last light of the vanishing sun. "You will only bring harm upon yourself if you make this choice Mewtwo, and although your past is your own, and yours to explain, delaying the revelation of the truth will only prolong your suffering. My kind are wise creatures, we are not the monsters that many believe us to be."

-_Suffering? I am not in pain._ -

"Come now Mewtwo, the door to your heart has been closed, even I can see that." Rose sighed. " Sal is a good human, and an equally good Trainer. She has heart, and cares deeply, and she has earned my respect, and my trust." Rose affixed the Psychic type with a pointed glare. "She could have turned out to be a monster like Brutus was… or Giovanni. The Trainer deserves to be treated decently, does she not?""

Mewtwo only hmphed and turned away from her, crossing his arms, as Rose returned to where Sal was waiting for them. After a few moments, he grudgingly gave the pair of females a sidelong glance, where her saw that they were laughing and appearing to be having a good time. Rose had begun to make a game of poking at their Trainer's bag. How childish. Mewtwo sniffed disdainfully at the Scizor's actions as he mused over her words.

-_Perhaps_, - he said quietly to himself, -_treating her with a bit more decency will allow me more opportunities to train. -_

He made his presence known only when his keen nose detected the aroma of food.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The next morning found Sal and her team in the lobby of the Ecruteak Pokémon Center, as they made out their plans for the day. Ecruteak was a city rich in culture, and Sal had always wanted to visit.

"Aww, they're closed," Sal grumbled in disappointment as she and Mewtwo approached the Ecruteak dance studio. The studio had been one of the places Sal had been most interested in seeing that day. "I guess that leaves us with your pick for the day Mewtwo," the psychic said as she turned to her Pokémon. "What's with your obsession with the Burned Tower anyways?"

-_ It is not an obsession._ - The catlike Pokémon sniffed - _Ecruteak is a city steeped in Pokémon lore. Two Legendary Pokémon — Lugia and Ho-oh to be precise — resided in the towers that the people of this city built for them to roost in long ago. But when the tower built for Lugia burned down in a fire, the Lugia left, never to return. -_

"And three unnamed Pokémon died in the fire and were resurrected by Ho-oh as Raikou, Entei and Suicune, and became the three Beasts of Johto. Loads of people know that story," Sal reminded him, finishing the legend as she rolled her eyes.

-_ And I am telling you, they are here in the city, in that tower!- _Mewtwo insisted for the sixth time that day, and he headed off in the direction of the Burned Tower.

Sal sighed as the autumn leaves swirled around her thin frame, and she clutched her jacket closer, wishing she had something warmer, but knowing that anything too heavy would be annoying in the warmer months. She looked up at the bronze and red trees above her, and wondered where the months had all gone. It seemed like they had passed by all too suddenly. She realized that by the time that they would arrive in Olivine, it would be nearly winter, and smirked at the irony of being in a summer vacation spot during the worst possible season to visit.

What would they do about Christmas? She shook her head at the idea of Mewtwo participating in a holiday like that. No, tonight's holiday - Halloween - sounded more like her Pokémon's cup of tea. Complete with lots of tricks. It was probably why he wanted to get her into that spooky tower anyways. Sal opened her bag at the thought of the holiday, and checked that the small, brown, paper-wrapped package she had oh-so-carefully hidden from Mewtwo was still intact.

_-Sal?_ - Mewtwo's voice intruded on her thoughts, and she hastily zipped the bag shut, despite knowing full well that he was nowhere near her. - _Are you coming or not? I thought you were behind me, _- he grumbled.

Sal hurried over to where Mewtwo was waiting for her outside the tower. the sunset was in full swing, and Sal looked up at the derelict building. She gulped nervously, but followed her Pokémon inside.

The interior of the tower was gloomy and dirty, and Sal coughed for a moment. Mewtwo turned his attention to something down a hallway, and Sal stepped against his back as she saw dim shapes scurry about in the shadows created by what little golden sunlight filtered through the holes in the walls and floors.

- _We are not alone,_ - Mewtwo informed her, and as he spoke, Sal realized she could hear indistinct male voices arguing. - _He is still following us!_- Mewtwo said as his eyes narrowed and he hissed in anger.

As Sal opened her mouth to ask him what he was talking about, two men she had never seen before appeared through the gloom, along with a familiar red-haired Trainer.

"The Legendary Beasts would never listen to a trainer like you," an orange haired man wearing a dark purple and red sweater with matching scarf was saying to Damien.

"I've been chasing Suicune for years, what gives you the idea that you can just waltz along and capture it on a whim!" the second man, who was dressed rather flamboyantly added. He brushed a bit of dirt off of his knee.

I've already wiped the floor with you once and earned your badge Morty, so why don't you stand aside before you get hurt, and he same goes for you," Damien snapped to the other man.

"Damien, what are you doing? Are you seriously trying to capture the three legendary beasts?" Sal shouted at him.

"Stay out of this, Sal! It has nothing to do with you!"

-_You fool! _- Mewtwo stepped towards the three men, and Morty and his companion both took a step back, surprised by the Pokémon's ability to speak.- _You have not the slightest bit of caution, do you? The Beasts are far more dangerous than a common wild Pokémon._ - His eyes began to glow as his anger spiked.

"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!" Damien shouted, releasing his Gastly from its Poké Ball.

"Rose!" Sal shouted, tossing the Scizor's Poké Ball in front of Mewtwo.

Rose raised her eye-patterned pincers defensively as she squared off against her opponent.

"Night Shade!" Damien ordered.

"U-turn!" Sal countered, knowing that Rose was faster, and the Gastly crumpled under the blow.

Growling in annoyance, Damien sent in his Zubat, knowing full well that he wouldn't stand a chance against Mewtwo as the feline quickly took the Bug types place.

"Supersonic!"

"Confusion!"

"Hmph, not bad for a weakling, " Damien muttered, recalling his fainted Zubat and sending in his last Pokémon, his Bayleef. Sal noticed that a fragrant spicy smell had filled the air, and Mewtwo advanced on the Bayleef, snarling savagely.

"Hmm, it looks like Bayleef's scent has gotten to him," Morty said thoughtfully, and Sal turned to him.

"His scent?"

"That's right," he said. "Bayleef are able to produce pheromones that encourage other Pokémon to fight them. "

The man beside Morty hummed thoughtfully as he took out a PokéDex from his coat pocket and pointed it at Mewtwo. Sal's eyes widened in surprise, but there was little she could do to stop him. "Gender unknown, " the mysterious man muttered to himself.

"What exactly are you doing?" Sal asked him, as Mewtwo continued to battle Damien's Bayleef savagely.

"I was trying to discern your Pokémon's gender, but apparently a PokéDex can only do so much, " the man said with a sigh, putting the device away.

"And you couldn't have been a bit more polite?" Morty asked him, frowning. "Has Suicune stolen you manners too, Eusine?"

"Ah, excuse me," The man turned to Sal. "My name is Eusine. I'm on the trail of a Pokémon named Suicune. And you are?

"I'm Sal, it's nice to meet you. So Eusine, what brings you to Burned Tower?"

"I heard rumors that Suicune is here somewhere in the Burned Tower, so I came to look. But where could it be?"

"I don't know," Sal said as she watched Mewtwo fire a Swift at Bayleef. "Mewtwo is pretty insistent that all three Legendary Beasts are here somewhere though."

I'd introduce myself to you properly, but you appear to have a battle to attend to," Eusine said, and Sal nodded, turning back to her Pokémon.

"Hey, stay away from there you three, the floor's unstable!" Morty shouted, and as the two Pokémon continued to battle.

"Mewtwo, come back this way!" Sal shouted. "Mewtwo!"

She ran towards him, thinking that he was unable to hear her, and gasped as the floor beneath Damien gave way as the red-haired boy tried to back way. Instinctively, she reached out for him, and grasped his hand before he plummeted to the floor below.

He stared back at her, his eyes wide with disbelief, and Sal noticed that his red eyes also bore tiny flecks of silver, something she had never noticed before.

-_Sal? What are you doing? Why are you helping him?_ - Mewtwo levitated off of the unstable surface of the floor.

"Don't just float there!" Sal said as she twisted her head over her shoulder to glare at him. "Help me!"

When Mewtwo stared back at her unblinkingly, Sal gathered her strength and pulled, but her strength was insufficient.

"Dammit, are you gonna pull me up or not?" Damien growled, and Sal frowned in response.

"I'm trying," the Trainer grunted, and as she tried to pull Damien up once more, the rotting wood beneath her gave way, sending both Trainers plummeting to the catacombs below.

"Bayleef!" Damien shouted, but the grass type's help never came.

The two trainers groaned as they hit the ground with a thud, and a few moments, Mewtwo levitated himself down to their position, psychically carrying Morty and Eusine.

-_Are you alright? _- the Psychic type asked, and his Trainer glared at him. -_What?_-

"Never mind," she said, turning to where Damien had been, but she found that he was already on his feet, dusting the dirt from his jacket. He froze suddenly, and Sal realized that Morty and Eusine also seemed similarly immobile with astonishment. Turning as she got to her feet, Sal suddenly saw why.

Standing on a slightly raised mound of dirt in front of them was none other than the three Legendary Beasts. Suicune stood in front, flanked on either side by Raikou and Entei. Raikou and Entei fled upon sighting the three humans, but Suicune remained for a moment.

-_Suicune..._- Mewtwo said, regarding the Legendary coolly. He had only sighted her a few times, and had never spoken to her, although they both knew of each other.

-_Mewtwo. _- She responded calmly, eyeing the other Pokémon and his Trainer with mild interest. Judging from the lack of reaction from the other humans behind them, Sal realized that she was the only one who was able to hear their telepathy.. She prowled past him, and made her way towards Sal. The Pokémon paused, her head inches from Sal's own as the Legendary stared at the psychic human. Sal felt Suicune touch her mind briefly, and gulped nervously. She had only just begun to learn how to protect her mind from unwanted intrusion, and she knew that should Suicune decide to invade her consciousness, there would be little Sal would be able to do to stop her. - _I do not agree with Mew's methods, and neither do many of the others in Johto, but I do believe that this human will be good for you. _- She suddenly threw back her head, letting loose a melodic howl before leaping up through the hole in the floor above the company and vanishing from sight.

The group was still for a few moments, until Eusine broke the silence.

"For ten years I've chased Suicune, and now I finally got to see it," he said, awed. He then turned to the others, his eyes alight with excitement. "This is all thanks to you Sal, I'm more inspired than I've ever been! I'm going to go after it! They say that Suicune allows humans it deems worthy enough to get close, and I'm going to earn that kind of trust! Again thank you!" The man laughed joyously as he released an elegant Pidgeot from a Poké Ball and exited the way Suicune had.

"Uhhh...okay," Sal said, not sure what to make of the odd man.

"Yes, I know Eusine can be a bit...eccentric, but he's harmless, " Morty said. "Now if you excuse me, I'd better return to the Gym. Since I haven't seen you before, I expect that you'll be challenging me soon, yes?" Sal nodded and Morty released a Haunter from a Poké Ball he pulled from his pocket. "Farewell," he said and as his Pokémon touched its Trainer's shoulder, they both vanished

"Hmph, " Damien walked to the edge of the hole, as Bayleef poked his head into it nervously. "I didn't really want any of the Legendary Pokémon anyway." Snapping his fingers, he attracted his Bayleef's attention, and the Pokémon lifted him up out of the hole.

Sal turned to Mewtwo, but paused when she saw him staring at something in the shadows. "What is it?"

-There's something over there, - he responded, and Sal cautiously went to investigate. Something sparked in the darkness, and as Sal drew closer, she realized that it was an unconscious Pokémon. It was of a species Sal had never laid eyes on before. It was slightly larger than a Growlithe, and was also canine in appearance, except for the long, star-tipped tail, and the lion-like ears. In the darkness, Sal could make out that the Pokémon had yellow and black fur that looked fairly soft, and as she reached out towards it, the Pokémon opened its' red-and gold rimmed eyes weakly, and gave a slight whimper. As Mewtwo drew closer, summoning a werelight to see by as he did, they realized that the strange Pokémon was badly hurt. In addition to the creature's injuries, several scars marred its body and one ran down the right side of it's face, straight through the eye.

The Pokémon growled, and Sal knelt down beside it as it lay unmoving on the ground. "Don't worry, we're here to help you," she told it, and the Pokémon relaxed somewhat as she sent psychic impulses to attempt to show that they meant no harm. Sal gathered the Pokémon up in her arms, and Mewtwo teleported them outside of the Tower before they made their way to the Pokémon Center, their previous plans forgotten.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sal sat on the couch near the Pokémon Center's emergency doors, with Mewtwo beside her, as they waited for Nurse Joy to come back out with the Pokémon they had discovered in the Burned Tower an hour ago. To their relief, the doors finally opened, Sal they looked up to find Nurse Joy holding her patient in her arms.

"Well," the nurse said, "This Luxray here seems like he's been through quite a bit, but I think he'll be alright now."

"A Luxray?"

"Yes, they're a rare Electric type from Sinnoh, the region north of here," Nurse Joy said, then sighed. "I've heard of plenty of cases where Shiny Pokémon have been abandoned by their Trainers, but to have to actually deal with one is another story. What's more is that this Luxray seems very young, and this makes me think that he was trained too hard before he evolved."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, some Trainers who breed or purchase Shiny Pokémon often acquire them when they're too young to battle, and so they train them before they're old enough to battle properly, so their actual level becomes drastically higher than their physical age. They're often have problems adjusting to the changes of evolution, like Pokémon that evolve with stones before they're ready," Joy explained. "Since he's obviously not a wild Pokémon, and not native to this region, I can't release him into the wild, so I'm going to put out a notice, and if no one claims him by the end of the day, I may have to ask you to take him."

Sal and Mewtwo nodded in understanding. "Aside from his injuries, there isn't anything else wrong with him, is there? Is he okay to battle?"

"Nope, there's nothing else. Physically, he's a perfectly healthy adolescent male Luxray, advanced in evolution for his age, but I don't think it would be too much of a problem. He seems a bit shy, but he's a sweet Pokémon." She scratched the Luxray behind the ears, and he wagged his tail in pleasure.

Thanking the nurse, Sal made her way out of the Pokémon Center. As she made to leave, she felt someone slam into her shoulder.

"Hey, watch where you're walking!" the spiky blonde-haired trainer said angrily, and Sal said nothing but glared at him as he walked away.

"Man what's his problem?" She muttered.

"Don't mind Chase; he's like that with everybody," a younger boy with a Rattata said from Sal's left. "A lot of the Trainers that come from rich families are like that here, well except the Winthrops," he amended quickly.

"The Winthrops?" Sal asked.

"Yeah, but from what I heard, their son went away to school a while ago, so that leaves Chase and his cronies to boss everyone else around," the boy grumbled.

"Hey, you're a local, right?" Sal asked him and the boy nodded.

"Name's Eric, and this is Fear, " the boy said with a smile as he gestured to the Rattata.

"Nice to meet both of you, " Sal said. "Anyway, that Luxray I brought in, do you know who he belongs to?"

"Yeah, that's Chase's," Eric said, "Although if he just abandoned it somewhere he probably doesn't want it- "

"Why don't you shut it and let me decide if I want a Pokémon or not, you little runt!" Chase was back, and he looked far from happy. He grabbed the boy by the shirt collar. "Was she the one who stole my Luxray?"

"She didn't steal it, she just came in with it!"

"So how do you know she didn't steal it?"

-_Enough!_- Chase jumped at the sound of Mewtwo's forceful baritone. -_Put the child down, _- Chase stared at him. -Now,- he emphasized, and only then did the Trainer comply. - _The girl and I found that Luxray neglected and abandoned in the bowels of the Burned Tower. You expect us to have left him there?_ - Mewtwo questioned.

The young man smirked. "I was just giving him a little training. I can't expect to get any good money off him as a sire if he's not strong, now can I?" Chase spoke with the airs of someone who assumed he was always right, and surprise crossed his face as Sal's eyes has become slitted with fury and Mewtwo trembled with rage.

"You're just using him to breed because he's a Shiny!"

- _Also, let me advise you that attempting to lie to psychics is very unwise, -_ Mewtwo added. -_You abandoned that Luxray, you had no intention of retrieving him._-

"Meet me out on Route 38, and we'll settle this that way. You can even use the Luxray if you want, I don't really care. Win, and you can keep him. Lose and I'll take that rare Pokémon of yours," he said, pointing to Mewtwo.

Sal growled, caught between her sense of justice and her loyalty to Mewtwo.

-_We accept your terms. We'll meet you first thing tomorrow morning, - _Mewtwo said calmly.

"Huh? But-" Mewtwo cut his Trainer off.

- _We will not lose to the likes of him. He fails to realize who he's dealing with_, - Mewtwo replied. - _Now, we have a Gym Battle to attend to, do we not?_ -

"Right," Sal said, and the pair left, heading for the Ecruteak Gym.

Several hours later, Sal sat in her bedroom, watching the moon through her window. She desperately hoped that they really would be able to beat Chase tomorrow. She looked at the Fog Badge that was nestled in the badge case on her bed. Even with the Shadow Ball TM they had gotten from Morty, Sal was still worried that it might not be enough.

"Are you okay?" the Luxray asked from where he was lying at the foot of Sal's bed. He had been surprised at the fact that Sal could understand him, but had began to use her ability to speak with her in order to make his concerns and questions known to her.

"I'm just worried about tomorrow, about whether or not we'll actually be able to win, Xanthos. " Sal sighed as she crawled into bed, and the Luxray came up to nestle himself beside her. Mewtwo had bestowed the name on the Luxray a few hours ago, and although Sal was reluctant to can the Luxray by it, he insisted, and so she obliged him.

"Hey, don't worry about it, " he said, lying partially on her, and Sal smiled slightly as she hugged the warm Pokémon. "We'll beat him.

Sal could only hope he was right.

Sal and her team had journeyed onto Route 38 , looking for Chase, noticing a large brown building as she did so.

-_Perhaps he went in there?_- Mewtwo questioned.

"Hey, it's worth a shot, " Sal said. "Mewtwo?"

-_Yes?_ -

"Why is it that even though I've known you for months now, you never really tell me about myself."

-_My past is not for you to know, _- Mewtwo responded.

"Why not? As your Trainer, don't I have a right to know where you came from?"

- _You say that as if you expect this to be a permanent arrangement, _- he responded, chuckling softly, but stopped as he noticed the look of genuine confusion on Sal's face.

"But I thought that you wanted to come with me."

-_To increase my strength of course, but I never agreed to stay with you for the remainder of your days. Foolish girl, I bow to no human, nor do I submit myself to any unless I choose to. And the day will come when I have deemed the days of your usefulness to me to be over, and at that time, I will depart. _-

"So all this time...you've just been using me?"

-_My past is mine to bear and mine alone. I have not yet seen any reason to burden you with it._ -

"That's what you always say!" Sal exploded. "Give me something other than that for once!"

- _Why? What purpose would it serve a simple human who dreams of nothing more than being a Pokémon Master?_ - he snapped, his voice filled with contempt.

"You think that's my dream?" Sal sputtered. Tears of frustration began to roll down her face, but she ignored them. "You really think I'm that shallow, that naive? I just wanted to get the hell out that stuffy little town and have some damn freedom for once, be something, someone that people won't think of as a freak of nature! " Sal shouted. "I've never kept anything from you, give me something about your past!" she screamed. "You have to let somebody in, let me in!" she shouted at him, shoving him physically as she attacked the mental barriers around his mind.

-_If you want to be cursed by my past you insolent whelp, if you desire it so badly then take it!_ - Mewtwo roared back, bringing the full force of his mind upon her. -_The Leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni created me to be his personal property, to bend me to his will! Is this what you wanted to see? - _The girl's mental barriers he had aided her in creating crumpled before him, and he flooded her mind with the stark reality of his past, his violent awakening, the dark filled days of his time as the second in command of Team Rocket in everything but name, the turning point when Giovanni, his 'partner' revealed that it was all a mere facade, and how his hate boiled over into a master plot to wipe humankind from the earth, as he explained all to her in excruciating detail. Then, memories of the aftermath of that struggle flowed into her mind as well, how he had changed due to Ash's actions, and as the memory of his clones departure from Mt. Quena slipped past his mind, Mewtwo relinquished his mental hold on the girl. She had fallen to her knees during the forcible inflow of memories that were not her own, and she stared ahead, her eyes wide.

"You..." A thousand different things she could call him raged in her mind as fury and sorrow and shock waged war within her. Her head hurt, thinking hurt, being conscious hurt, and Sal wished her mind would shut itself down, yet it didn't. She realized suddenly that she really couldn't call Mewtwo any of the words swimming about in her mind, because it still wouldn't change anything, and he had overcome all of it hadn't he? 'But I'm just a tool, a pawn,' she thought.

"Hey, Are you gonna battle, or can I just take that Psychic type of yours and my Luxray and beat it already?" A familiar voice asked, as as Sal stared up at Chase, she was almost tempted to let him do as he wished. But her competitive side refused to let her and so she stood up, and stepped in front of Mewtwo. Whistling, she and Chase watched as Xanthos came tearing across the wide expanse of grass around them to battle.

Chase released a Pokémon he called Honchkrow from a Poké Ball, and Sal dimly accepted that it must be a Pokémon from Sinnoh. She spoke with a slow detached slowness, her mind still on the memories that had invaded her mind a few minutes ago.

"Honchkrow, finish it!" Chase's command snapped the psychic back to her senses somewhat, and she struggled to get her head into the match.

"Xanthos, Spark!"

Sal was now beginning to realize that her opponent definitely had the upper hand, despite Xanthos's type advantage - the more powerful Honchkrow was beginning to look like too much for the Luxray.

"Okay, new plan Xanthos, return, " Sal called and the Luxray came back behind her. "Mewtwo, you're up, start with Miracle Eye!" she said, her voice trembling as she commanded him. Mewtwo took his place in the field and prepared himself as calmly as is their previous conversation had never occurred.

"Faint Attack!" Chase commanded, and Mewtwo gritted his teeth in pain.

"Swift!" Sal cried, and with a squawk, the crow Pokémon finally went down. "Phew..."

"Go, Hypno!" Chase shouted. "Hypnosis!"

"Shadow Ball!" Sal commanded, and Mewtwo threw a small Shadow Ball a the Psychic type.

"Hah, like that little Shadow Ball's going to-" Chase's taunt died in his throat as the shadow Ball expanded seconds before it collided with his Pokémon, knocking it out instantly. Growling, he released a Haunter, and Sal shook her head.

"Is he kidding? Psychic!" Sal commanded, taking advantage of the Pokémon's Poison typing, the same way she had beaten Morty.

"Arcanine! Use Roar!" Chase commanded, And Mewtwo growled in annoyance as he was forced to retreat, and Rose was suddenly dragged out into the battle.

"Oh, no," Sal said, a gasp in her voice as Chase crackled.

"Flamethrower! Barbecue that Scizor!"

"Rose!" Sal screamed as flames enveloped the Steel type, and she reflexively leaped toward her.

-_Get back! _- Mewtwo leapt in front of her shielding her from the blaze, and he hissed as flames licked across his back. -_You foolish girl!_-

Dissipating the flames with his powers, Mewtwo cleared the battlefield, revealing that Rose was still conscious, but badly injured. Her armor had become warped and weakened by the Arcanine's Flamethrower to the point where she couldn't move properly. Sal recalled the Scizor as Mewtwo stepped up to face Chase's last Pokémon, a Scyther.

Sal's mind flashed back to her match against Bugsy months ago, and she stood there, frozen as she watched the battle dazedly. Shaking herself mentally, Sal tried to focus on the battle once more.

"Future Sight!" She commanded, and she realized how badly the Scyther had been injuring Mewtwo without her assistance. looking at the Pokémon, she realized, that it had to be at least level forty, and as she had Mewtwo evade and counterattack, she prayed that the Future Sight would be enough.

Finally, the scintillating beam of light hit its mark, and Sal sighed with relief as Chase recalled his Pokémon.

"Fine, you win, so keep the Luxray. I'll just get another, " he said nonchalantly, tossing her a Premier Ball and judging from Xanthos' reaction to it, it was his. Without another word, Sal's opponent headed back towards Ecruteak. Shoving the incident before the battle from her mind once more, Sal focused on the state of her Pokémon.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

A collaboration with AmythistAngel07. She owns Anaca and the hatchery, and be sure to keep an eye out for her Pokemon fic, Green with Evee, which overlaps this one in a few places.

Sal breathed a sigh of relief as Chase left. "Man, what a jerk. I hope his Pokémon will be okay though,"

- _They will be fine, _- Mewtwo said, and Sal realized that he didn't look quite right. Of course, he was covered in scratches and gashes from the battle, but what Sal was worried about was the look in his eyes. His vision was unfocused and he kept blinking rapidly. - _Sal, put me in my Ball please,_ -

"Are you okay? I thought you hated being in your Ball," she said, holding up the purple and silver sphere.

-_ I am not badly injured, _- Mewtwo said, but Sal didn't fully believe him, and he knew it. _- I have no love for that infernal thing, but I need it._ - He gave a grim chuckle as Sal hesitantly raised the Master Ball at him and returned him. The sound of his dark laughter unnerved her. Rose had taken some hard hits too. Her newest Pokémon - the Luxray - needed help as well.

Xanthos. Sal rolled the new name around in her head. Mewtwo had come up with it, claiming it was a Greek word meaning yellow. The name clearly suited the golden Pokémon, and he seemed like his new name, as did Sal. However, he seemed to be a bit of a goof off, and Sal worried that he might not do well in a crisis.

Sal went over to the largest of the cluster of buildings nearby. Even though Chase's Pokémon were weak and mistreated, they had been much stronger than Sal had expected, and he had used almost a full team, whereas she had only half of one. On an open route like this where anything could happen, Sal didn't want to leave any of her team hurt. She was worried about Mewtwo because he had seemed almost casual about the amount of blood that had been pouring from his body. It was almost like he didn't care that he could die if Sal couldn't get him treated reasonably soon.

The girl frowned. Mewtwo was badly hurt, and although he had assured her that he was no longer suicidal and had come to terms with just being alive, he didn't seem to place a great deal of importance on his own life compared to the lives of others. Sal supposed that that could be a good thing, but something in Mewtwo's attitude warned her that he might take it to a negative extreme unless she could think of a way to talk with him about it.

Realizing that her feet had carried her to the door of the building, Sal pulled it open and went inside.

She saw a friendly-looking girl behind the counter of the lobby who looked a bit younger than her. The girl's aura indicated that she was a bit annoyed about something, but Sal decided that she wouldn't know it by looking at her. The younger girl's aura was a lovely teal color and Sal had the feeling that she was going to like her. "Welcome to Haddelle Hatchery, where we cater to all of your Pokémon needs. My name is Anaca. How can I serve you today?"

" I'm Sal, nice to meet you," the Trainer replied "Do you have anywhere when I can take care of my Pokémon?" she asked.

"Of course." Anaca replied. " Come on right back here," she said, leading Sal into a small back room. "Would you like any help?"

"Yes please. The three of them are pretty beat up. My starter's not so bad, but he doesn't let anyone touch him except me or Nurse Joy, so I'll take care of him." Sal said, trying not to let on how nervous she was about Mewtwo, lest this stranger think that she was completely incompetent.

Excusing herself for the moment, Anaca came back with medical supplies, and Sal released her other two Pokémon from their Balls, Rose from her red Cherish Ball and Xanthos from his white and red trimmed Premier Ball. Anaca looked surprised, but that was no wonder, Cherish Balls were incredibly rare and valuable, the Pokémon League didn't sell them in stores. Xanthos stretched himself a bit, and Sal saw Anaca notice his coloring.

"Oh, a Shiny! Those are quite rare."

Sal nodded. "Apparently that jerk I was battling before abandoned him because of the common misconception that Shiny Pokémon are more powerful and worth more than regular Pokémon. So, I decided to track him down, and see what his problem was. When I saw the condition his other Pokémon were in-" she stopped and began again. "My rival Damien is a real jerk in my opinion, to both people and Pokémon, but he doesn't even treat his Pokémon that bad. It's Trainers like him that make me sick," she growled, then sighed. " I sorry I'm ranting like this to you, I guess I'm still worked up over it."

"That's okay," Anaca responded. "I understand how you feel," she said as she reached out for the Hyper Potion on the counter. Her aura flared up at the thought, and Sal realized that she must feel very strongly about it, more so than she was letting on.

"Oh, sorry you two," Sal said, slapping a hand to her face. Anaca, meet Rose and Xanthos. Guys, this is Anaca, she's gonna help you guys out while I handle this," she said, brandishing Mewtwo's purple Master Ball. She grinned as Anaca's eyes nearly popped out of her head at the sight of the rare sphere. "The Ball was my Dad's," she explained, before Anaca could ask too many questions.

Sal paused. She knew that Mewtwo wasn't going to like this, he was distrustful of other humans even so much as seeing him sometimes, but she was worried about him, and Anaca seemed willing to help. She threw the sphere to the hard tile floor, and Mewtwo bust from the Ball, slightly stooped over. His expression twisted into a snarl at the sight of the stranger, Anaca. Sal realized that he was probably a terrifying sight, and she doubted Anaca had ever seen anything like him. His ears twitched, and had he been able to move them as some other cat Pokémon did, they would be flat against his skull. Sal went to him, knowing that she had to calm him down. His body language was very defensive and he appeared to be in a lot of pain.

"Easy Mewtwo," the girl soothed the nervous and injured creature. "Anaca's helping." She placed a hand on the Pokémon's shoulder, and he relaxed slightly. Large cuts covered his body and the Trainer made to attend to a large gash in the Pokémon's chest.

- _No, the other one,_ - Mewtwo's low masculine voice moaned, finally allowing Sal to realize how much pain he was in. - _On the back..._ - He was unable to finish what he was trying to say, sinking to the floor and gesturing weakly behind his neck, and Sal gasped at the sight. His cerebral cord was covered in gashes and blood flowed from them and trickled down his form as she struggled to get his bleeding under control. - _Keep pressure on them...not that hard! _- Mewtwo moaned in agony as his vision filled with spots as Sal pressed on his cuts too much.

"Sorry, you said one cut on your cerebral cord was bad, but you're covered in them!" Sal panicked.

"Let me help, please, I know a good bit about medicine," Sal moved aside as Anaca came forward, placing a hand on the Pokémon's back. He shuddered at her touch, and took a ragged breath. "What exactly is wrong with him, aside from the fact he's covered in blood? "

"I don't know how to explain it fast enough!" Sal cried. "The cord on the back of his neck brings extra oxygen to his brain-"

- _Ischemic hypoxia..._ - Mewtwo said dizzily, and his eyelids fluttered as he fought for consciousness.

Anaca gasped and covered the cord on the back of Mewtwo's neck with Hyper Potion, and grabbed bandages and scissors. " Keep him awake!" she told Sal as she scrambled around.

"Mewtwo, what you said to her, what was that? What does it mean? Mewtwo!" the catlike Pokémon stared at her stupidly. Sal put herself in front of him, holding his head gently in her hands and repeated her question.

- _What did I say? I cannot recall..._-

"Ischemic..." Sal couldn't properly remember herself. "Dammit, it was a medical term!"

- _Ischemic hypoxia?_ - he asked weakly, his eyes closing as Anaca came behind him with bandages and Potions, dragging an oxygen mask along behind her. Rose motioned for the bandages and Potions, and Anaca gave them to her while she gave Sal the mask as she ran over to the oxygen machine on the wall.

"Put that over his face!" she called as she started the machine.

- _Not enough oxygen is getting to my brain, _- he said, still sounding distant and faint as he tried to explain his ailment. Rose had finished bandaging his cord and came around to work on other parts of his body, and Sal remembered that the Scizor was hurt too. The left side of her body looked distorted, as if it had been melted and rehardened, and a black scar crossed that side of her face, down through the center of her eye and stopping in the middle of her cheek where the muscle beneath the armor had been laid open and burned. The Luxray, Xanthos stood numbly nearby, unmoving, just as Sal had feared he would in a crisis.

Rose moved slowly, hauling the nearly immobile left side of her body along as she came around to Mewtwo's front as he pulled away from his anxious Trainer. Sal was touched by Rose as she always was, but if asked, Rose simply claim that since Mewtwo had brought her into the world, she would do anything she could to help him if he needed her, and now he needed all the help he could get.

- _The Hyper Potion is working; I'll be fine in a few minutes._ - Mewtwo said. He did sound better, albeit exhausted, as Rose and Sal switched places and Sal and Anaca held Mewtwo's upper body up since they couldn't lay him on his back while Rose attended to his other wounds.

With a grunt, Mewtwo pulled himself up into a sitting position and leaned on Rose, and the three females struggled to get the Psychic type into a nearby chair.

Anaca grabbed the Full Restore from the shelf and began massaging it into Rose's armor-like exoskeleton, and the warped sections of her body began to smooth out. The Scizor, who was trembling with exertion and stress over what had happened, seemed to relax under Anaca's touch.

Sal went over to Xanthos after Mewtwo was comfortable. "I know that you really don't know any of us yet," Sal said, "But in case you didn't notice, Mewtwo almost died, and if it wasn't for Anaca he probably would have, because I wouldn't had known what to do and he wouldn't have had time to tell me."

- _My leaving this world would have meant little, _- Mewtwo said softly, but Sal was too busy with Xanthos to hear. Rose's eyes narrowed at him in protest, but she didn't feel like arguing with him. Their Trainer was stressed enough, the last thing she needed was Mewtwo casual view on the topic of his own death.

"We are way too far from a Pokémon Center, I wouldn't have been able to get back there in time - I don't even think Rose could, and she's pretty fast," Sal was saying to Xanthos. " She's hurt bad too, that Arcanine's Flamethrower hit her hard."

" Fire's the one thing I really can't beat," Rose said, quietly, as Anaca attended to her.

" Yeah, just like she said, fire's the one thing she really can't beat, double weakness," Sal said. "An offer to help would have been nice."

"But that Scyther-" Xanthos began.

"Was just being a typical male Scyther. If you don't believe me you can ask Rose, she lived in a swarm when she was a Scyther for a little bit," Sal said. Xanthos was making excuses for not helping out and complacentness was something that Sal couldn't afford. They had to be ready for anything, and able to stand together and help each other, and if Xanthos couldn't listen to her on that, if he refused to learn, then she would have to let him go.

But he was young, even for a Luxray, and he hadn't learned her ways yet, so Sal said no more about it.

"Your Pokémon need rest," Anaca said. Come with me, I have somewhere where they can stay," she said, and lead Sal and Rose away as they supported Mewtwo between them.

- _I apologize for getting blood all over your floor_. - Mewtwo began. -_And I believe my Future Sight may have shattered a window, I heard broken glass...-_

"Oh, sweetie, don't worry about it." Anaca said in a consoling way. Sal winced. 'Sweetie' wasn't something she would dare call Mewtwo, but he was clearly too exhausted to truly care, and she meant well. "We can get it replaced. Oh, and that reminds me… When you're strong enough to move…" She went to the cot next to her, which was clear of any Pokémon. She pressed her fingers onto a button and kept it there, and the bed started to move in an upward, sitting position. "You can sit there. I would rather you do so because sensors in the bed will keep your vitals. If you could get your Luxray to lie in a cot, I'll tend to him, too. In the meantime, would you like some tea? Fresh fruit?"

" No thanks," Sal mumbled. They were all too shaken up to even think about eating, and with a nod, Anaca departed.

Breathing heavily, Mewtwo struggled to get on his feet and Sal and Rose cried out in alarm.

"Hey, just hold on! She said when you're strong enough, not right this second!" Sal exclaimed.

" Has the pain made you mad, Mewtwo?" Rose said, forcing herself up to help Sal. " You should stay where you are."

- _I do not require anyone's help; I can do it myself,_ - Mewtwo grunted, taking several steps forward.

"Don't be foolish Mewtwo, let me help you before you get hurt," Sal said, then gasped in fright as she was telekinetically shoved into the wall to her left, several feet in the air. She gagged as Mewtwo choked her telekinetically.

" Mewtwo!" Rose gasped, and she raised her pincers up threateningly. Electricity flowed across Xanthos' body as he too made ready to defend his new Trainer, but he still looked unsure of himself.

Mewtwo collapsed abruptly, which caused Sal to fall to the floor as gravity regained control of her. " His head!" she cried out to the others, and Rose caught the psychic type's head in the crook of her arm as he fell.

"We need to get him onto the bed," Rose said and Sal nodded as she came over. "I will take his legs. One, two, three!" Gasping with the effort, they hauled Mewtwo awkwardly onto the bed, and Rose then looked at the monitors next to the bed.

"You know how to read those?" Sal asked, and Rose nodded.

"A little. Mewtwo taught myself and the other clones about many things," she said. " I do not think he truly meant to harm you," she said.

"I don't know what to think about him anymore right now," Sal said.

"I admit that not telling you about his past was not a good move on his part, but I truly can't say anything - I did the same thing to Anthony and to Brutus. I told neither of them where I came from."

"They can't communicate the same way I can, or Mewtwo does," Sal said. "I just... I want to help him, but he isn't letting me." She sighed and leaned over Mewtwo's cot, gazing at him worriedly, as Rose and Xanthos slept.

Several minutes later, Sal had halfway fallen asleep. Her arms were bent over the metal bars on the side of the cot, and her head was dipped between them as if she was making a pillow. Rose was happily tucked into the quite plush cot in a light slumber, and Xanthos had helped himself to one as well. Though immediately, the girl awoke when she heard a tender knock against the wooden doorframe.

"Hey, Sal," Anaca whispered.

The young adult looked up, her hair a little messed up and her eyes were still heavy with a sense of dreariness and burden. From her sensitivity to sound, Rose woke up.

"…Anaca?" she replied, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The teenager blinked, shrugging absentmindedly and smiling. "Well, I'm just checking in on you," she flicked her head towards the screen. "It's lunchtime. Your Pokémon are resting so I won't wake them. But you should probably come with me."

"N- No…" Sal really didn't want to. There was too much burdening her. "It's okay."

"Really?" Anaca leaned her head to the side nonchalantly. "Because I think you need to. C'mon," she walked over towards her. "You're beat."

"Go with her Sal," Rose said. Sal glanced hesitantly at Mewtwo. "I will send Xanthos if anything happens." Sal reluctantly got to her feet and followed Anaca out of the room.

"I've already made lunch, it's just Swiss and roast beef sandwiches, and I have plenty of fruit and baked potato chips if you'd like. "

"That sounds nice, thank you, " Sal said, and she followed Anaca into the living room. Logically, Sal knew that she should try to start a conversation, but her mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of Mewtwo. He had been enslaved and tortured by Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket! And if that hadn't been enough, he had once vowed to destroy her entire species! Although he had said that that had been years ago, Sal still felt as if her trust in him had been shattered. Despite everything she had learned though, she didn't hate him. Should she release him? Sal just didn't know what to do about him.

She was lost in her trail of thought as she sat on a living room couch. It was very plush, made of microfiber, and her bottom practically sunk into it. She found herself eating very slowly, and didn't even notice when Anaca left the room all together. She only noticed when the younger girl came back in with a piping hot cup of tea, and set it on the coffee table in front of her.

"You've been pretty quiet...and tense," she said in a maternal tone. "Drink some of this. It's a special brew my mom makes to relieve stress."

"Thanks..." Sal said. "It's just..." the psychic wondered how much she could trust this person she had only just met. Her mind suddenly flashed back to hours prior, Mewtwo bleeding, dying in front of her and she decided to take a leap of faith. She had saved Mewtwo's life, no questions asked and if that wasn't enough, then what was? "I started out on my Pokémon journey with some pretty bad luck. At one point, I didn't have any Pokémon at all. But then Mewtwo saved my life when I was trying to save someone else's, and for some crazy reason he decided to come with me, and things actually started going right for a change," Sal sipped her tea and stared at it as she spoke. " But just recently I've learned he did some really bad things before he met me, and worked for a really dangerous guy, and maybe all of it wasn't his fault, but... I don't know I even trust him near me anymore." She felt moisture glisten in her eyes and wiped at them in embarrassment. " I'm sorry, I must look like a total basket case right now."

"Everyone has problems." Anaca shrugged, crossing her legs and setting a pillow into her lap. "I'm not judging you for that."

"Do you have Pokémon of your own?" Sal asked, hoping she did so she could understand.

"Well…" the teenager thought. "Rapidash and Blissey are the family's Pokémon, and they help us with the hatchery. Other than that, no. I don't have Pokémon of my own."

"Oh…" the psychic looked down into her tea, shaking her head. "Then you wouldn't know."

"I have eight siblings that went off to be Pokémon trainers, and I work with them a lot at the hatchery," the girl said with a soft grin, looking at Sal from the corner of her eye. "I might not know primarily, but I have a good idea…" her head then flicked to the other side, so her chin faced slightly upwards. "…You're torn, aren't you? Stressed about what you should do. I'm not going to get nosey, but things will always work out in one way or another."

"I hope so..." Sal said, returning her focus to her tea once more. " What's it like, being here at the hatchery? It seems to me like it must be pretty nice since you get to be with Pokémon all the time, and you still can meet people too."

"To each is their own, and to each is their plights…" Anaca chuckled a little.

"And what does that mean?" the older one blinked.

"I work with Pokémon, yeah." The brunette shrugged. "It's always… fun. Keeps me on my toes, running around. Some are nice. Others, not so much. Some are here for a week. Others for months on end… it's pretty busy, a family business and all. I'm currently alone so it's moreso. The clientele… is on and off. I don't consider myself very social."

"But… you seem so apt to it," Sal's gaze narrowed.

"I'm good at it when I need to be," Anaca winked. "That doesn't mean it's my preference. Probably why I'm not the receptionist to deal with people on the front lines."

"What does the hatchery do? Besides heal Pokémon… hatch eggs?"

"Oh, anything you could think for a Pokémon to do." The teenager shrugged. "We hatch. We breed 'em. Some people leave them here for daycare purposes. Some drop them off for adoption. Others adopt. We'll train Pokémon to learn new moves or become better behaved. We'll train people on how to work with Pokémon. We'll teach them to battle. Evolve them."

"You… evolve, Pokémon?" Sal wondered. "For trainers?"

"Yep. One of our most popular services." Anaca nodded.

Sal's amethyst eyes narrowed. "Why would any Trainer have someone else train and evolve their Pokémon for them? It takes out half of the joy of even having Pokémon in the first place, because if you just pay someone else to do your job as a Trainer, then it hurts that Trainer, because they miss out on bonding with their Pokémon, and watching them grow up, and the Pokémon isn't as accustomed to their Trainer." Sal crossed her arms. " I could understand it if it was someone who was underage for a license, or if it was a Pokémon that was known to be hard to evolve because the conditions have to just right, but for the average Trainer to do it..." she sighed. " I don't mean to be harsh, and there are always exceptions to everything, but the only kind of Trainers I can see coming here are lazy, stuck up abusive jerks like that Chase guy," she growled.

"And you would be right. About half of them, or half of the ones who come to evolve their Pokémon, I should say, would be like that, yes," Anaca nodded. "But Pokémon need to stay here for awhile in order to evolve, and what we have to charge to cover expenses is borderline out of the budget for most trainers. Most people would rather do it themselves, yes, and most of the time when they come here, it's usually out of desperation because they're not doing something right. That's why we offer free consultations to help trainers gather information about Pokémon and see what they're doing wrong. I agree with you, though. If I went off to be a trainer I'd want to do it all myself to bond. But we offer the service because there is a lot of money to be made." Anaca nodded to herself a little.

"I'm… sorry." Sal mumbled. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"Oh, none taken. You make a good point." Anaca gestured towards the tea cup. "Drink more, you poor thing. You're shaking like a leaf. Would you like some more fruit? Ice cream?" Sal shook her head.

"Is that why you're good at what you do?" the snowy haired woman asked. "Or, at least, I would assume you're good at what you do. You seem really maternal for someone your age."

"Eh, for better or for worse," the girl shrugged. "My mom always says that, too."

"So…" Sal looked to the ground. "You really love Pokémon, right? So why do you stay here and not become a Trainer?"

"That's the whole point," the girl's aura flickered slightly as she thought about this. "Everyone wants to be a Trainer. All of my siblings went off, all of my friends went off, just to be Trainers. They want to go out and walk all over the place, travel the world, catch Pokémon… I just don't find it appealing. Here, I can help people and Pokémon alike, and I can help a lot more Pokémon than I could if I went off to go and train. No offense to you, but I like knowing where I'm going to sleep and what I'm going to eat day to day. I don't want to be hopping around, broke or near so, everything and everyone against me, just itching for more and more battling, and having to rely on the charity of other people. Because you can't trust everyone. I don't see the points of ribbons or championships other than just to pit people up against each other and stroke egos, prove who's the most powerful. I see how people enjoy it… but I don't. I'm not normal. I'd rather stay here, be a homebody in my own little schedule. I'm a creature of habit. The world can go with one less Pokémon Trainer. Though they're the ones that keep the hatchery in business…" she sipped some soda.

"I never really thought about it that way," Sal said. "For me, becoming a Pokémon Trainer was the only way I'd be able to be accepted by anyone. Honestly, everyone in New Bark Town thought I was a freak, even my own mother." She laughed bitterly. " The Elms were the only ones who accepted me, and who got me out of that suffocating little town." She sipped her tea again. " I'm about as abnormal as they come, so being a Pokémon Trainer is the only way I can ever have any friends. It's the only way I can actually feel like I can make a difference with this strange life I've been given."

"Well, I hope you have luck with that," Anaca chuckled, shaking her head. "Because I stopped giving a damn about having friends a long time ago. I didn't need them. I had my family and my little Pokémon at the hatchery to keep me company. I used to have about a handful of friends…" her aura then started to flash red every now and again. Sal had been told that teal auras were known to keep emotions to themselves, but brood and think hard about things. "I only had a handful of good friends… three or four…" Anaca repeated, her tone quiet. "But I've lost them all, and could never make more. Who cares about what people think? It's not like it affects you. By learning to not be vain, you become better than those around you. More wise. More smart. That's how I view it."

"How do you have trouble making friends?" Sal asked, a bit perplexed. "You seem perfectly normal. You're nothing but nice."

"But I'm a not-so-pretty nerd who likes to baby Pokémon and doesn't want to become a trainer," Anaca pointed at Sal and playfully winked. "And that makes me a freak."

Sal smiled. "Maybe that's just why I thought I'd like you. When I meant friends, I wasn't talking about humans. People are afraid of what they don't understand, and my only friends in the world are back in that medical room." Sal said, jabbing a thumb in the general direction of where her Pokémon were. " Like you, I lost contact with any human friends I managed to make when they left town - I haven't had a dependable human friend since I was nine." She frowned. "That's why if I were to lose Mewtwo's friendship, it'd be hard for me to get over it. He's really the only being on this earth who completely understands me."

"Yeah, I've heard about psychic Pokémon… My mom used to have one, forgot what kind, though." Anaca shrugged. "You're fortunate to have those 'friends' for you, though. I'm happy I was able to help you when I did."

"Did you…" Sal suddenly thought about something. "Are you going to charge me for the night here?"

"Nope. It's on the house." Anaca assured her. "You're my personal guest."

"…Really?" the young woman blinked owlishly. "But why?"

"Well your Pokémon were in bad shape and that other Trainer obviously didn't care about how critical their condition was..." She shrugged. " You needed help,

so I did what I could."

"Thank you." Sal said.

"Eh, don't mention it," the teenager sighed a little bit. "Well, do you at least feel a bit better, now? I know that Trainers work really hard."

Sal nodded, and just then Xanthos came tearing into the room. The psychic rose up, knowing instantly why he had come, and headed straight back to the medical room with Anaca right behind her.

"Don't you get tired of running up and down these stairs all the time?" Sal asked, a little winded that they had to go down so many flights to get there.

"It's just the way the hatchery works." The younger of them shrugged. "It keeps us in shape, I'll say that."

-_Sal?_ - The psychic's worry increased as she saw Mewtwo lying on the cot. He looked exhausted, and his voice in her mind was weak.

"See, I told you she'd cone rushing back in," Rose said, and Sal tried not to make it apparent that she understood her as she went over to Mewtwo.

- _The other girl...I am uncertain if she can hear me now. - _He closed his eyes. - _My body needs rest, yet my mind is tired of sleep. -_ Inhaling deeply, he looked directly at Anaca, summoning up what little strength he had, and Sal felt him pull at her mind for the hatchery worker's name. -_Your name is Anaca is it not?-_

"Yes. Anaca Haddelle." The girl looked towards him and laid her hand on his forehead, stroking him gently. The psychic felt her small, cool hands against his fur, and normally he would have reacted. But now, it was as if any attention paid to him was soothing. "Are you feeling better? Your vitals have stabilized, but those can only tell me what your body is feeling, not what you're feeling. Are you hungry? I can make you something. Soup, a sandwich, I even have some Jell-o. Or if you just want some bread… tea, perhaps?" she turned to Sal. "Speaking of which, do you think that the Luxray or your Scizor are up to eating? You were all resting when I fed all the Pokémon."

-_Some soup, please,_ - Mewtwo said softy, and the girl nodded.

Sal looked over at Rose and Xanthos, who both nodded in agreement. " Looks like they're all hungry," she said.

" Ya know..." Anaca said thoughtfully. " I think I know just the thing for you, Mewtwo, and your teammates will like it too, but it'll take me a little extra time to prepare, is that ok?"

-_Very well. Take as long as you require,_ - he said, letting his head rest limply on his pillow.

In the meantime of waiting for the soup that Anaca was making, she had brought them some fresh bread for them to eat. Normally Mewtwo would want to stay away from bread, as he had had it far too many times, but this bread was made with honey, and many types of oats that made it sweet and pleasant to the taste, and the tea had a natural, subtle sweetness to it. When she came back, she had a platter balanced on her shoulder and hand, as if she was a waitress delivering platters. She punched in some buttons on the cots, and automatically tables came over the halfway mark on all of them. The cots were the adjusted for the Pokémon to have a good angle to eat at. She set the soup down, which was made of a chicken broth and a lightly cooked white egg with assorted vegetables.

-_Thank you. -_ Mewtwo said, and the others echoes his sentiments. The Psychic type began to eat slowly, and his eyes widened in surprise. -_This egg is from the Happiny evolutionary line, _- he said. -_It has been years since I have tasted one, yet they are distinctively different from normal eggs if one is aware of the differences. _-

Anaca smiled a little to herself, closing her eyes and nodding her head. She spoke in a soft, reminiscing tone. "When I was a little girl, and if I was hurt in an accident, if I was sick, or if I had a bad day at school, my mother would always make me that soup. I don't think I make it as well as she does, but all the same… It always made me feel a whole lot better."

"Is that from the Blissey that you said you had here?" Sal cocked her head to the side. The teenage girl nodded.

"When she's done with the babies she might just come rushing in here." Anaca giggled at the thought.

Mewtwo sighed. Although it would be in Blissey's nature to come to him, and he knew that she only meant well, he had always found the other Chansey and Blissey he had met rather overbearing and smothering in their kindness. However, the Blissey was more than likely well aware of his condition, and it was only a matter if time until she came. He ate his soup slowly, grateful for the strength and mental peace that the Blissey's egg brought, and allowed himself to relax.

Sal looked over, where her other Pokémon were also happy lapping at their bowls of soup. She suddenly snickered and chuckled to herself, thinking about something.

"What?" Anaca asked.

"You said your mom fed you that soup a lot, with a Blissey egg. Is that why you're so maternal?"

The teenager chuckled a bit, shaking her head. "Eh, I don't know. My mom is pretty maternal, but she's not overbearing. I mean, she had nine kids, all willingly. Maybe it's a mix of both."

"Everyone has a tender side to them," Rose said quietly, holding her spoon in her large pincer. "Even Mewtwo."

The catlike Pokémon set his spoon aside as his name was mentioned and focused his attention on the two humans. -_Sal, Anaca, both of you seem rather amicable towards each other. That is good...for the both of you. As for my own opinion...You have saved my life, and I was curious as to if you would submit to a mental probe. _- He pulled himself up a bit straighter. -_Most Psychic Pokémon probe the minds of humans to search for dishonesty, but I assure you that that is not my reason. I wish to access your mind to learn about you, as I would a fellow psychic, and as I have done to Sal. It is simply a more efficient way for psychics to learn of others. I will warn you however, that it pains humans._ - He sighed, closing his eyes. -_ I lack the strength to perform a probing at this time, but perhaps in a few hours... Therefore, you have time to consider it.-_

Anaca's eyes widened. She looked over towards Sal with an unsure gaze, gulping subconsciously. "And… how much pain are we talking about?" she asked. "Like, unpleasant-but-I-can-endure-it pain, or I'm-going-to-scream-my-head-off pain, or what?"

Sal panicked. By humans, she knew Mewtwo meant ordinary, non-psychic humans. The mental probe didn't hurt psychics unless they fought against it, and from what Mewtwo had told her from his own experiences of being forcefully probed, it was agonizing. -_It all depends on how high your tolerance for pain is. If you have a low pain tolerance, then yes, it will be painful._ -

" But this kind of mental probing isn't like the ones you hear about, these kinds of probes are a two way street, so you'll learn about Mewtwo, too." Sal added.

"And… I can't just tell you about myself the old fashioned way? By asking questions and talking?" the teenager was obviously hesitant. Her aura was flickering on and off with anxiety.

- _There are certain questions I have that you could not answer, Anaca. But if you would like to tell me about yourself, then please, by all means._ –

Anaca looked to the ground, sighing. "Well… I work at the hatchery. I'm homeschooled so I can. I'm sixteen, and I like to read and watch television in my spare time. Also play games on the computer, sometimes scavenge from my family's game systems… I have eight siblings, all gone off to be Pokémon trainers. There's Keith, who left when I was a baby, and he's my oldest brother. Cecilia is my oldest sister, but I only knew her until I was, like, four, before she left, too. There's Lauren, another brother, he left when I was about seven. Steven, again, left. Maybe I was nine when he did. Nicolas, he left when I was ten, and Gerard left to join Steven and Nicolas when I was eleven. And then my sister, Eloise, she left when I was fourteen, and then my closest sister, Melody, just left a few months ago. And now I'm the only kid in the house… My parents are old, as you can imagine. Both are sixty three, since they went to school together in the same grade, and are about to celebrate their fortieth anniversary."

"So do you have anyone else work at the hatchery?" Sal asked.

"It used to be all my siblings. They'd work here and learn everything about Pokémon. Evolving them, hatching them, breeding them. So they knew all they needed to and were prepared when they left. Quite literally, my parents started the business after they married, so after the business was stable, they started a family. I work here, now, and we hired a local girl to help us out…" Anaca sighed a little. "But the house feels big… empty. When you're used to having siblings for so long it's just… y'know. But I want to inherit the hatchery when I grow up. That's another reason why I'm not going to be a trainer."

"It seems like your childhood growing up was a lot different than mine, " Sal said, her violet eyes downcast in thought. " I'm an only child, and my Dad and all of his Pokémon left home when I was very young, so it was just Mom and I, " The Trainer sighed. "Mom has this phobia of Pokémon and Trainers, and she was dead-set against me ever becoming a Trainer. She always based her reasoning on my medical condition- " here she gave a sidelong glace to her Mewtwo, who inclined his head slightly. "- but I think that she was just really afraid for me, because the Trainers in our family haven't been the nicest of people." She looked up at Anaca. "It sounds like you have a great family, and I'm happy for you for that."

"I'm thankful for it every day," the teenager made a quiet nod. "I really am. You know, I would usually say 'I'm sorry' about your past, but you've probably heard that from anyone that you've encountered. So I'll just say it's unfortunate that something like that happened to you." She pulled out a paging device from her pocket and checked the time. "Well, I don't mean to cut you off like this, but I do need to go and get to work. Please tell me if you need me." She turned on her heel and treaded towards the exit, but before she went down the hallway, she stopped. "Oh, and I'll think about that whole mind-probing thing that you were telling me about," she mumbled. "I'll… tell you when the jury's reached a verdict, I guess." And with this, she left.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sal trailed down the hall back to the room where Mewtwo had been resting. As she kneeled beside his bed, the psychic stirred and seemed surprised to see her there. -_Why are you here? Go find somewhere to sleep, _- he said irritably.

"I'm here because I care." Sal said fiercely. " And I'm not leaving." Hearing the commotion, Rose sat up and looked over at them.

- _Why would a human care about me? Why do you insist on helping me?_- Mewtwo asked, still annoyed.

" Do you always need a reason to help somebody?" Sal snapped back.

- _What did you say?_ - Mewtwo said suddenly, and Sal wondered if she'd gone to far.

" You heard me." If Mewtwo was mad, then he was mad and Sal might as well stick to her opinion.

-_Ash told me the same thing once,_ - Mewtwo said softly. _- Is that a rare thing, for humans to help each other for no reason other than their own sense of morality? _-

" Sometimes it can be, when people get selfish, " Sal began. " But that just makes it all the more precious when people do put aside their own desires and their own selfishness to help someone else." Mewtwo glanced at her sharply, and Sal jumped.

- _Why are you frightened of me?_ - He seemed puzzled.

" You attacked me earlier today. You choked me," Sal said.

- _But I am not harming you now._ - he said looking very confused.

" But you could," Sal swallowed hard. " I don't know what to expect from you... but I like you." She took a breath. "Can I ask you something?"

- _Yes. _-

" You said Giovanni created you and held you at his hideout, his fortress, if I can call it that, all because he wanted you to fight. Is that right?"

- _Yes. _-

" Rose, know that in what I'm about to say I mean neither you nor the other clones, nor even Mewtwo any disrespect in what I say. I'm just stating what I happen to notice."

" Understood," the female Scizor said curtly.

" But Mewtwo after leaving Giovanni's fortress, you then made your own fortress, you said, on New Island, and lured Pokémon Trainers to that island. Why?"

-_To clone their Pokémon,_ - Mewtwo said. -_As I have told you before .-_

"Why did you make the clones?" Sal said.

-_To prove that they were stronger than the originals,_ - Mewtwo said.

"But," Rose said, frowning. "We did not exist. Therefore how can our own purpose for our existence be to prove our strength, when we were not even alive?"

"Rose, when you and the other clones first woke up, what did you do?" Sal asked.

"We fought the originals."

"Why?" Sal asked.

"Mewtwo told us to."

"Why listen to him?"

"He created us. Then, he was our master."

"Giovanni created Mewtwo. Then, Giovanni was his master," Sal said.

- _What purpose is there in this?_ - Mewtwo asked angrily.

"Giovanni created you, Mewtwo, a clone of Mew, to fight for him, just as you, Mewtwo, created clones of other Pokémon to fight for you, the both of you using someone else to prove that you are ruler and master of the world, " Sal declared and they stared at her in shock as she braced herself for Mewtwo's wrath.

- _I... am just as he is._ - Mewtwo said slowly seeing the truth in her bold words, his expression sorrowful. - _I have become what I hated most_. -

"But you said Ash opened your heart," Sal said. " Giovanni's heart is as cold and hard as a stone."

"What does this mean?" Rose asked. " Mewtwo gave himself for us so that Giovanni would not capture and destroy us."

Sal nodded. "And that is what makes you different from Giovanni," she said. "Before I knew your past and what you'd done, I saw good in you. I saw bad too, but everyone is like that."

- _What good is there in me?_ - Mewtwo spat, rolling away from them.

"Well for one thing, you didn't destroy the planet," Sal said. "And based on what I've seen, and the memories you showed me - you are very loyal to those you do trust, up to the point to where you would willingly die to keep them safe. When that Rocket picked up that baby Nidoqueen, you were pissed."

Mewtwo turned around, hardly able to believe what he was hearing.

"And you were always worrying about the others, about whether or not you should let them go, even though you wanted to protect them."

"She speaks the truth," Rose said and Mewtwo laid there, turned on his side towards them, shocked. Rose turned away and went to her bed to rest.

"You aren't doomed to be just like him," Sal said. "But you've learned some bad habits from him, I think, and so you'll have to work extra hard to undo those habits, just like anyone else. If anyone can do it, you can." She got up from her chair and came over to him, sitting on the bed next to him. She hugged him gently, and he simply sat there, as stiff a steel pole as she leaned her head against his shallowly breathing chest. "I don't think I know anybody as strong willed as you are," she whispered. "I know if it was me, I would have given in to Giovanni."

- _You? _- Although Mewtwo had never given human females much thought, he had not thought of Sal as weak-willed.

"You have so many good qualities, don't let anybody bring you down," Sal said, and a thought struck her. She hummed a few notes experimentally and began to sing softly. Mewtwo was surprised to find that he thought her human voice sounded beautiful - he never would have considered that anything that came from a human naturally would be agreeable in any way.

"You are beautiful in every single way, yes words can't bring us down..." Sal's voice was getting softer, she was falling asleep. "Maybe it's silly, but I used to listen to that song at home when I was doubtful about myself," Sal mumbled. She dragged herself off the bed, and went over to her chair, and within seconds, she was fast asleep.

The next morning, upon reassurance from Mewtwo that he and the others were perfectly fine, Sal and her team left Haddelle Pokémon Hatchery.

-_Sal? _-

"Hm?" Sal glanced back at Mewtwo as he stepped lightly behind her.

-_May we visit Anaca again?_ - he asked. - _We will have to pass this way again. _-

"I guess we could," Sal said. " You liked her?"

- _I owe her my life,_ - Mewtwo said.

"Oh, and Rosie and I are chopped liver, huh?" Sal said. "Wait till I tell her, you are gonna be in trouble."

- _I suppose I owe you both as well_, - Mewtwo said grudgingly but Sal caught the smile that flickered across his lips.

"Don't make me twist your tail about it," Sal muttered, trying to hide her own smile.

- _Anaca... is another exceptional human, _- Mewtwo said.

"If you consider any human who's nice to you 'exceptional' then you are gonna find a lot of them," Sal said with a smile.

- _But that is only better for me, is it not?_ - Mewtwo asked.

"True," Sal said, and nodded as they headed for Olivine City.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Sal shivered in the cool winter air that blew in from the shoreline as she stood on Olivine Pier. Tightening her jacket around her scrawny frame, the Trainer walked back to the pier entrance, where Mewtwo was waiting expectantly.

"Well, according to what I've been told, " Sal began, "It looks like the ferry won't be back until Saturday."

- _That's far too long to be staying in one place, especially Olivine_, - Mewtwo said, and Sal frowned at him.

"What, do you have a problem with Olivine?" she asked him.

-_There is a great deal more crime in this city than you would think,_ - Mewtwo answered.

"Hmmm, well we could always go to the Lighthouse," Sal said. "I've heard that a lot of Trainers go there to battle."

- _Our time would be better spent challenging the Gym, _- Mewtwo responded.

"And how exactly are we going to beat Jasmine? We don't have any defense against her Steel type Pokémon," she reminded him. "Do you really think that we can just power our way through?" Without waiting for Mewtwo's answer she told him, "If you really want to challenge a Gym, then we're probably better off going to Cinnawood first."

Mewtwo turned from her suddenly looking off into the distance. -_What is he doing here?_- the feline snarled, and as Sal turned, she saw that her was referring to Damien. -_Where are you going?_ - he hissed at her as Sal began to make her way over to the red-haired Trainer.

"If you're looking for Jasmine, she's not here," Damien said as Sal came within speaking distance of him. "Supposedly she's off taking care of a sick Ampharos at the Lighthouse, and is begging Trainers to go to Cinnawood to bring her some Secretpotion." He snorted disdainfully. "A Gym Leader, and she can't even take a little trip to a place that's only a few hours away. Pathetic."

"Were you looking to challenge her?" Sal asked.

"If you're looking for a battle, you can forget it; I don't have time to deal with you," he snapped, and as he strode away she heard him mutter, "Got to find a way to cross that damn sea..."

"If Jasmine needs someone to go get medicine, then we might as well give her a hand," Sal said to Mewtwo. "Especially since we were planning on going there first anyways."

Mewtwo looked down the cobblestone street to the boardwalk, and to the beach beyond. - _Then we will have to cross the sea now, we have no time to wait for the ferry_. -

"But how are we going to do that, I don't have any water Pokémon, " Sal said to him, and Mewtwo snorted.

- _The swim to Cinnawood is a simple one, if one knows how to manipulate the currents. As long as we avoid swimming too close to the Whirl Islands, even you could swim all the way there_. -

"Yeah, sure," Sal responded, her voice slightly shaky as she eyed the great expanse of water in front of her. "If I knew how to swim."

-_What?_ - Mewtwo stared at her in disbelief. -_How is it that you do not know how to swim?_-

"Simple, no one ever taught me," Sal replied with shake of her head. "How did you learn how to swim?"

-_I have_ _always known how, _- the feline sniffed. -_Although, I have no great love for the element, _- he added as he glared at the waves before them.

"Good for you," Sal muttered. _Damn perfect as always, _she thought sourly. "If you think that I'm going to attempt to swim in that ocean, you can forget it."

-_Well what do you expect me to do, fly you across?_- Mewtwo asked her, rolling his eyes.

"Actually, that's a pretty good idea now that you mention it," Sal answered.

- _Are you serious? Do you have any idea of the amount of energy that I would have to expend in order to fly across this sea myself, let alone carry the both of us_? _That is hardly a bright idea,_ girl. -

"So you're saying you can't do it." Sal crossed her arms.

- _I suggested nothing of the sort; I merely stated that it would be unwise to do so_. -

"So you just don't feel like it," Sal retorted, and the feline glared at her, before exhaling explosively.

-_Fine_, - he relented, his eyes glowing blue as he levitated the two of them over the water. -_But if you get your Trainer's license suspended because of this, it is your own fault_. -

"The League and their stupid rules," Sal muttered as Mewtwo began to pull her across the water alongside him.

They lapsed into silence, and Sal's mind wandered to their conversation yesterday. All this time, had Mewtwo really been using her for his own gain? Had the semblance of friendship that she thought had grown between them been nothing more than a façade on the psychic's part?

Mewtwo looked over at the girl, noting how her aura had retracted and dulled somewhat. -_What is troubling you now_? - he asked, frowning as he observed her.

"I'm just thinking," she mumbled, and Mewtwo resisted the urge to probe her mind when she was not immediately forthcoming with the subject of her musings.

-_Thinking of what_? - he prompted.

"Nothing someone as powerful as yourself would find interesting," she responded.

-_Oh really? Are you daring me to discern that for myself?_ - he asked, fully prepared to do so.

"Everything always has to be one big fricken fight with you, doesn't it?" she snapped.

Mentally reaching for her consciousness, Mewtwo shattered her mental defenses with ease, immersing himself into her mind in order to find the cause of her dark mood.

"Get out!" Sal screamed at him, as he continued to rifle through her thoughts apparently unaware or uncaring of the agony that spasmed through her as a result of his actions. She took a swing at him as if to hit him, but the psychic maneuvered her backwards just out of reach.

- I_ have already told you the conditions of my agreement to train under you and the details of my past, so why do you insist of musing on them? Why poison your mind with thoughts of me?_-

"Because I care about you, Mewtwo, or at least I'd like to if you'd let me!" Sal said as she futilely pushed against Mewtwo's mind, unable free herself from his telepathic hold, and scarcely able to control her natural panic. "Get out of my mind," she said, wanting her voice to be level, but finding that it came out as a whimper instead as her mental pain translated into physical.

Snorting at her weakness, Mewtwo withdrew himself from her mind, stating, -_A simple mental probing shouldn't case you that much pain_.-

"Whenever something happens to me that affects my powers negatively, it always makes me hurt physically, " she responded weakly, wondering how he failed to recognize this before.

-_ Your feeble mind is simply misinterpreting the pain, _- he said dismissively.

"Whatever you say, Mewtwo," Sal said tiredly. _I'm so sick of fighting with him over everything, why can't he even make an effort to understand me?_

They spent the rest of the trip in silence, and the sun was setting as they finally arrived in Cinnawood. Hoping that they weren't too late, they made their way to the town's region-wide known pharmacy.

"Yeah, we got a call from Jasmine in Olivine, but we've been so busy with the cold season we haven't been able to spare anyone to get this Secretpotion to her. She's already paid for it, but if you could get it to her, we'd really appreciate it," the clerk told her when Sal asked him about the situation in Olivine. "I'll give her a call and let her know you'll be by with it by tomorrow, " he continued, and thanking him, Sal left.

"Now, for the Gym," Sal said as she approached the building with Mewtwo behind her. _Hopefully, getting in a good, long battle will at the least tire Mewtwo out a bit, _Sal thought. _Then again, Chuck does use fighting types, so it's not too likely._

Upon entering the Gym, Sal discovered that a manmade waterfall dominated its interior, as after watching several Trainers battle along the ridges carved into it, Sal saw Chuck, the Gym Leader, meditating under a waterfall.

"'Scuse me, I'm here for a Gym battle," Sal asked one of the Gym Trainers, stopping her politely.

"You'll have to wait until Master Chuck's done, but that could take a while. Lemme round up the others here, and you can battle us in the meantime. We'll heal your Pokémon before the Gym battle, so you don't have to worry."

Sal glanced at Mewtwo, who shrugged indifferently, and the other Trainer sprinted off. One by one the Trainers faced Sal, and Mewtwo systematically destroyed them. As Mewtwo stuck a finishing blow to a Primeape, the trainer who had suggested that Sal challenge the others ran over to the waterfall and poked the bare-chested man in the shoulder. Although the roar of the waterfall masked their voices, Mewtwo could easily read their lips.

'Hey, we've got a challenger here who's big trouble,'

'Lemme guess, another psychic type? An Alakazam?' Chuck responded.

'No, I don't know what that thing is, but it took out all of us without breaking a sweat, we haven't even been able to land one hit on it!'

'Including you?'

'Yeah Pop, including me.'

The burly man's eyes opened, and he rose to his feet before reaching out and pulling a large lever beside him. The waterfall mechanism trickled to a stop, allowing Sal to face him properly for the first time.

"So you're after my badge, huh?" he said to her as he grasped one of the Poké Balls that hung from the belt of his white pants.

"Yes, sir, " Sal answered timidly, and the man laughed.

"Don't be so nervous, you can't let any opponent intimidate you. Just look at your Pokémon, he seems to have the right idea. "

"He always does," Sal responded softly and Mewtwo took his place on the gym floor.

"Well then, let's make this a one on one shall we? It is getting late, and my wife'll have my head if I'm not in for dinner. "

Releasing a Poliwrath from its Poké Ball and commanding it to attack with Surf, Sal braced herself as the torrent of water rushed towards her and her Pokémon.

"Dodge and counter with Psychic!" Sal commanded, but to her surprise, Mewtwo didn't bother to shield her from the oncoming attack as it neared her and the Surf hit Sal full force, slamming the Trainer into the wall hard. Coughing as she staggered to her feet, Sal limped over to her former position after indicating to her opponent that she was okay, ignoring the pain in her side. 'Damn cat, he's lucky we're in the middle of a battle,' Sal fumed silently. She sighed in relief when she saw that Mewtwo's Psychic had brought Chuck's Poliwrath down.

"Well, it looks like that's that, " Chuck said, recalling his Pokémon. "Here, take this TM and badge, I'd say you've earned it!"

Thanking him, Sal left with Mewtwo in tow, and they made their way back to the Cinnawood Pokémon Center for the night.

.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Mewtwo sat in one of the smaller Pokémon dining halls, his gaze trained on his two teammates as they ate. His Trainer had told them of the argument that had broken out between her and himself, and now an awkward silence hung in the air around them.

He began to ponder whether or not staying with this girl was even worth the promise of returning to his full strength. Surely he could become much stronger on his own, and although his power was still not what it once was, it was still formidable. _The girl has done well,_ his consciousness whispered to him, and Mewtwo shoved the thought aside. She was no different than any other Trainer.

As the others finished their meal, Mewtwo arose and left them, heading for the section of the Pokémon Center normally reserved for Trainers. He had requested a private room away from the others and their demanding, questioning silence, and since the number of Trainers in the Center were few, Nurse Joy had allowed it. His mind continued to whirl with thought of his interactions with the others over the last few days, even as he crawled into bed and pulled the covers over himself and sank into a fitful sleep.

_He could hear the subtle gurgle of air bubbles in water, and although he tried to to open his eyes, his body did not obey him. Instead his gaze turned inward to the landscape of his mind. Instead of a smouldering gray wasteland filled with gray-brown spires, and rivers made of murky orange stasis fluid hanging over a sickly, yellow-green sky - the mindscape he was accustomed to seeing whenever he looked within his own mind- the mindscape that greeted him was a vast violet void. It was the mind of a new being, Mewtwo realized._

_A sudden thought slipped into his awareness, _Who am I? Where am I? What am I?

'_...hasn't gained consciousness...'_

'_...Other vital signs are strong...'_

'_We're measuring brain activity...'_

I sense others near me...but what are those strange sounds they make? _For reasons he couldn't fathom, the nature of what he was hearing wasn't making any sense._

_- _Those are words! They're talking!_- a voice said, and Mewtwo turned, gasping softly at the presence of another mind. A bright red light flared into existence in the barren dreamscape a few feet away from him, and began to take shape._

_- _What're you?- _he asked the strange light. It was warm and bright in the dark void Mewtwo found himself in, and he decided that he liked it simply because it was different than everything else._

_-_Whatdaya mean? I'm a girl!- _the being said in her piping voice, and just the sound of it made Mewtwo feel good inside. _-_ A person,_ - the voice clarified as the light took on a distinctive shape.

-A person?, _- Mewtwo heard himself ask as he looked at the girl, feeling confused. Was this girl like him? He still didn't know who or what he was._ -Am I a person?- _he decided to ask the being._

_-No, - the person said, making a light tinkling sound that changed the way the word sounded as the girl said it. Mewtwo decided he liked the sound - he would have to ask the person about it later. The girl came very close to him, studying him for a moment. -Well, - the girl finally said, -_You look like a Pokémon, but you talk like a person. I didn't know a Pokémon could talk like a person, - _she continued happily._

_-_Pokémon? Person? What're those? Which one am I?- _Mewtwo asked her, confusion swirling in his mind._

_-_ Maybe it matters to you if you're a Pokémon or a person, but not to me, -_ she said, smiling and spinning in an excited circle._ - I guess if you're here it means you must be the same as all of us are, - _she told him, and three other beings materialized near them. Unlike the person, Mewtwo found that he knew what these were, and something about a voice saying names in his head that matched the sounds these creatures- Pokémon - made flashed through his mind, but for the moment he dismissed it._

_The girl lead the group across the vast dreamscape before them, talking to them as she did so. _- Everybody here's a copy, that's why there's a two after all of our names. -

-I don't understand, - _Mewtwo whined, following the movements of the others as they spin in a giddy circle. The dreamscape began to take on a more magenta hue and swirl about them._

_- They call me Ambertwo, but I'm still really Amber, - she said as they continued to spin about. The Charmander sneezed out a small flame, which caused Amber to make the same light tinkling sound again. Mewtwo found that he didn't want the sound to end._

_Amber lead them across the strange, blank mindscape to somewhere different. -_I call this my remember place, _- she told them as they drifted across the scenery of houses and trees and streetlights before them. It looked like a nice neighborhood, Amber's mindscape, and he realized that her mind recognized it as part of a small suburb in Lavender Town. -This is where I used to live. -_

_Suddenly, a bright sphere of white energy appeared high above them, an Mewtwo looked up at it. -What is that? - he asked Amber, curious as to the identity of the strange object that was now dominating the sky above her dreamscape as white fluffy clouds also became visible with the light the sphere brought._

_-_That's the sun,_ - Amber told him, and somehow the sun reminded Mewtwo of Amber, for it too was warm and bright, like her aura._

-What is is for?-

_-_It makes the whole world bright, and it keeps us warm all day, _- she explained. Something powerful and invisible pushed itself against him, and Mewtwo braced himself covering his face with his arms, as Amber turned away from it slightly. -_That's called wind. _-_

-Wind? _- Mewtwo wasn't certain as to whether or not he liked it yet._

- The wind helps us along, - Amber told him. -Sometimes it's soft and sometimes it's very strong. - _The sky began to change, and turn into a kaleidoscope of fiery colors._ -And that's the sunset,- _Amber told him as they watched the sky. _-That's when the sun says 'Goodnight, see you tomorrow!' -

_The sky grew dark, and tiny pinpricks of light filled it, along with another round sphere like the first. -_ Is that a sun? - _Mewtwo asked Amber, perplexed._

-No, that's the moon, - _she said, making her tinkling sound again._- And the stars are the little lights that twinkle all night, just so we won't feel alone in the dark. -

_Mewtwo watched as the Charmander and then the Bulbasaur and Squirtle dissolved before them into sparkling blue lights that were reminiscent of the stars above them. He moved over to where they had once been, twisting his body in the air as he tried to find where they had gone._

_The same blue light began to sparkle around Amber, and as it did, a look of calm acceptance crossed her face._

_-_What's wrong Amber? - _Mewtwo asked, seeing tiredness in her bright green eyes. _-What's happening? - She's dying, Mewtwo's adult mind realized it, and his mind rebelled against the thought strongly.

-It feels like...it's time...to say goodbye...- she told him, her telepathic voice weakening as she began to fade.

_-_Goodbye?- '_No, no no, this cannot be happening! Mewtwo's mind snapped back to its' adult state as his thoughts began to race. 'I cannot lose her as well, she is the only being that has ever cared for me, she must not leave this world now!' And yet his own knowledge reminded him of the empty stasis tanks in the lab, the fact that she was never in his conscious life...'_

_Amber's dreamscape began to fade to black around them, and Mewtwo felt something well from up within him that he had never felt before. -_ I feel... something.- _The strange emotion constricted in his chest uncomfortable, and Mewtwo felt something wet slip down the side of his face. -_ What're...what're these? -

_- _Those're tears, you're crying_, - Amber said, and Mewtwo's adult mind was dumbfounded by what was happening around him._

_-_Crying?- 'I do not cry, I do not, never...'_ Mewtwo lost himself in the power of the emotions running through him._

_-_My Daddy used to tell me a bedtime story, that when Pokémon are sad, and they cry, their tears are filled with life. -

I'm so sad...- _Grief enveloped Mewtwo like a dark shroud, wrapping him in its dark embrace._

-I have to go– -

-Why?!- _ She couldn't go, she could not leave him here in this dark void, the place, this world all alone! She would not!_

-I don't know, - _she said honestly_. -But it's all right. - _She gave him one last smile as she said_, -Thank you for caring about me. You should be happy!-

_Happy? But she was failing, fading, _dying, _ and she tells him he should be happy! Why? Why now, when he was so filled with sorrow to the point he felt as if it would overflow from within him._

_-_You're alive, and life is wonderful..._-_

_-_Amber! Please don't go! Come back! _- He would give anything to be with her, wherever she was, he didn't care if he lived or died so long as he was with her, it didn't matter nothing mattered anymore, nothing, nothing, nothing...NO!_

_-AMBER!-_

He sat upright in the bed, his body drenched in sweat and tangled in the sheets as tears flowed down his face. He realized that he had screamed her name aloud as he awoke, and moaned it again, his grief stripping him of all his former dignity. Burying his face in his hands, he allowed the tears his unconscious mind had been withholding from him for years to slip past his splayed fingers. His chest heaved as he sobbed, and although he desperately wanted to stop, lest someone find him in such a pitiful state, he didn't know how to stop.

"Mewtwo?What's wrong?" Casting the tear filled eye that wasn't obscured by his hands upwards towards the sound as his pupils retracted in the terror of having another being present, Mewtwo found Sal standing there. Her white mane was tangled in her hairtie, she had neglected to take it out, as usual, and wispy strands blew in the soft breeze created by the open window beside his bed. Her violet blanket was wrapped about her shoulders like a cape.

-_GET OUT!_- Mewtwo yelled, not caring if he woke someone or not, not caring if her hurt her at all as her flung her backwards and she struck the wall hard, not caring about the blood that came from her right hand as she pulled it away from the back of her head. He didn't care when she futilely tried to fight him back with her own powers, but what stopped him was the look on her face as she looked at him. Something about it made Mewtwo's marshaled facade of anger break, and he realized that it reminded him of Amber. -_Leave me be... _- he choked out, as the tears continued to flow.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong...please," she said, coming to the foot to his bed.

-_They made me forget her!_- He shouted angrily, punching the bed in front of him. -_They made me forget..._ -

Sal came closer to him, sitting beside him before hesitantly wrapping her arms around him into an embrace. It was warm, and comforting, and just reminded him even more of Amber, but at the same time, he didn't want this girl to let him go. Unsure of what to do, he allowed his arms to encircle her, and she only held him tighter as he cried. He vaguely realized that he was dampening her with his tears, but she didn't seem to mind and soothing words flowed from her lips. Her mind reached out to his hesitantly, and as he accepted her mental touch, he realized how raw her mind was, how much he had damaged her by prying into her mind as he had before, how mistaken he had been in his actions towards this human...Sal.

Something shifted in his mental awareness, and Mewtwo looked down at himself, startled to find that his aura was a flickering white - the sign of a being about to undergo a serious aura change. Accepting this, he reached out to Sal's mind again.

He was suddenly overwhelmed by a torrent of information- memories, names, faces, places - many things that didn't make sense to him at first. He realized that the memories he was seeing were from Sal's mind, but the more he tried to consciously grasp at them, the more they seemed to slip away, spiraling down into somewhere where he couldn't reach them.

Casting his mind's eye about, he found himself in a dreamscape, but it was definitely not his own. A purple sky hung over him, and as he gazed at the land around him, saw that it was covered in white flowers. Picking one delicately, he found that it was not a real flower, but one made of paper, as were all the others about him. Curious, he began to walk up the large hill that rolled before him, moving carefully so as not to desecrate the strangely beautiful place he found himself in.

As he neared the top of the hill, he spotted Sal, her back to him as her long hair blew freely in the wind. She wore a gown made of dazzling white feathers, and she had several of them tied in her long hair as well as it tumbled down her back.

-_Sal!_- he called out her, and she turned, her eyes widening at the sight of his presence. Instead of Damien's necklace, a circular silver pendant that bore a white feathery wyvern with a blue sapphire for an eye hung in its place about her neck.

-_How did you get in here?_- she asked him. -_No one's supposed to be here._ -

-_Then this place is within your mind?_- Mewtwo asked her, and she nodded slowly.

-_Psychics all have different mindscapes, just a any other person goes through different mental states, and the mindscape becomes different as time passes. But for you to come here..._- She sighed. - _This is my most personal dreamscape_,_ the one closest to my psyche, _- she told him simply.

-_I am sorry. I did not mean to intrude, - _ Mewtwo said, embarrassed at having stumbled into such a sacred portion of her mind. - _I simply found myself here. -_

_- After...- _she frowned as if trying to recall something. _-What happened to us...as our minds met? - _she asked him._ - I've never touched another psychic's mind before, but I don't think this is normal... -_

_-No it is not, - _Mewtwo confirmed as he neared her, climbing over the hill to see what she gazed beyond it,_ - But I do not understand– - _His sentence ended in a gasp as he beheld the scene before him.

A valley of blue fire and brimstone burned into the landscape, slicing into the pristine countryside. The patterns along the blackened earth reminded Mewtwo of the destroyed fields of his own mindscape, and he asked her quietly,_ -Did I do this?-_

_- It'll heal, - _she said quietly, fumbling with the feathers on her dress_, - As all things do with time. -_

_-I am sorry, - Mewtwo said. -I forgot how fragile your mind was. - _A slight breeze ruffled his fur as a curious look reflected itself in his eyes. -_ Why the dress? You never struck me as someone who would clothe themselves so formally,_ - he mused.

- _I have no idea, _- she said. - _Every time I find myself here, it's always wearing this dress, with this necklace, even when I was little. I know it's important because everything here is symbolic of something, but I don't know what. _-

-_It suits you, _- Mewtwo said, causing Sal to jump out of _surprise_ and mutter an uncertain thanks, to which Mewtwo inclined his head.

-_It is not good for us to be here for too long, especially myself,_ - Mewtwo told her. As he retraced his presence from her, the whole world around them seemed to fade away.

Mewtwo opened his eyes slowly, finding that he had fallen onto his back, and that Sal had fallen on top of him, still embracing him. Unsure of what to do, Mewtwo simply awaited for her to awaken.

He watched as her eyes opened slowly, and somehow they seemed different to him – familiar, but not quite her own as as he recalled them. But they were the same as her eyes had been within her mind, of that he was sure.

She blinked at him in slight confusion, and as she realized her current position, she extracted herself from the bed. As she turned to leave, something inside Mewtwo shattered, and he reached out to clutch at her slender wrist as she turned away.

-_Stay...please._ -

And to his amazement, she did.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Collaboration with AmythistAngel07. She owns Anaca, and everything to do with the hatchery.

The following day had passed without incident. Sal had been able to successfully deliver the Secretpotion to Jasmine, who had agreed to a gym match after finding that the medicine had brought the Lighthouse's Ampharos back to full health.

The Gym battle had been long and hard, and by the end of it, Sal and her team were exhausted. What's more the Pokémon Center had closed early due to inclement weather, and Sal and Mewtwo were only barely able to race out of the storm's path as they headed back towards Ecruteak to the only only safe place they knew of.

Sal headed for the familiar sight of Haddelle Pokémon Hatchery as she sneezed and sniffled. " 'Scuse me."

- _Are you certain you are alright?_ - Mewtwo asked.

"What about you?" Sal commented. "The balls of my feet are killing me, and I know that I have to be feeling that from you."

- _My feet do hurt,_ - Mewtwo admitted. - _But we are almost there. I hope asking to stay a few days will not be any burden to her, _- he said.

"I can pay her," Sal grunted. " I have money from our gym battles, and I could help out too."

-_If it is needed, I could assist her as well,_ - Mewtwo said.

"Hey, put your hood up, she might have other customers or something, and you might startle them."

Mewtwo nodded and pulled his hood over his head. - _I have noticed that humans often mistake me for a human with my cloak obscuring my form, _- He pulled his tail closer to his body, and it vanished under the cloak.

"Does that bother you?" Sal asked. "Having to hold your tail so close?" It sounded very uncomfortable.

- _No more so than if it was my arm,_ - Mewtwo answered, opening the door for Sal.

A woman whom neither of them had seen before was blowing a wad of bubblegum, her feet on the desk.

- _That sound annoys you, does it not?- _Mewtwo said privately across their new psychic link as he observed the flash of irritation in her aura, accompanied by the memories of finding gum under desks at school, the substance being stuck in her hair, and classmates popping bubbles in class. -_Remember as long as you focus on me, no one else can hear you,_ - he coached.

-_In that case, hell yes,_ - Sal answered. - _I can't stand people smacking gum!_ -

- _The sound is very distracting, _- Mewtwo agreed, as the woman, pulled her feet down off the counter. _- Solitaire,_ - Mewtwo said - _How juvenile. I would probe her mind, but she would not be worth the energy_, - he said disdainfully.

"Welcome to Haddelle Hatchery, how can I help you today?" The woman clearly wanted to be anywhere but where she was.

"...Who are you?" Sal's sharp violet eyes narrowed. She didn't like this girl, and Mewtwo didn't like her either.

- _She smells like an Arbok,_ - he remarked, and Sal knew his snout would be wrinkling beneath the hood.- _I've heard of some human females using perfumes made with diluted Arbok poison, and I cannot stand the smell, it sticks in my nose and makes my flesh crawl._ -

"The name's Kate. I'm the bookkeeper and the receptionist. So, basically a secretary. Whatdaya need?" the woman asked, smacking the gum in her mouth.

"Hey there. I'm Sal." She rubbed her eyes and sighed. She didn't exactly like this girl, but she didn't really have a reason to be mean to her either. "I… I need to rest. My Pokémon, too."

"Um, 'kay, sweetie." Kate closed out of her game and brought up a blank invoice on the computer screen. "And how long will your Pokémon be staying?"

"Just for the night, " Sal said. She knew Mewtwo had hoped to stay for longer but she couldn't afford to spend too much, and she knew they would need the extra money the gym battles had brought.

"And you'll pick them up in the morning?" Kate said lazily.

Sal looked up at her and subconsciously snarled in confusion. "…No. I'm staying, too." There was no way in hell she was just leaving her team anywhere. Even though they could take care of themselves, too many people could steal them, and Sal would never take that chance, never mind the fact that she hated not being with them, especially Mewtwo.

The receptionist laughed at her, leaning back in her seat and folding her hands across her lap. Sal sensed anger rise in Mewtwo and hoped he wouldn't do anything too drastic. Kate looked towards Sal and shook her head. "Sorry, hun. I can't do that. This is a Pokémon Hatchery, not a Pokémon Center that Trainers can stay at. We can take in your Pokémon but we don't have anywhere for you to go. I'm sorry," she said, not sounding it in the least.

- _I will handle this,_ - Mewtwo said privately.

-_What are you going to do?_ - Sal asked him.

-_Where is Anaca?_ - Mewtwo demanded, his voice low and menacing as he made it public for Kate to hear and as they sensed Kate's apprehension Sal saw smug satisfaction wave across Mewtwo's aura. -_We want to see Anaca. We know her,_ - he said, his voice emphasizing exactly how much he disliked her. Switching to private communication, he said to Sal - _I have seen her face somewhere, but I cannot recall where. My hackles are risen, this is more than just general dislike, I cannot stand this human female, but I cannot recall why. _-

"Oh, so you know Anaca? She's feeding all the Pokémon their dinners right now." The woman sighed at them in an exasperated manner. "Look, we're actually about to close up. So-"

"We need to see Anaca," Sal urged. "Please."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, well… Lemme page her." The woman turned to a small device on her desk and slid out a keyboard, starting to type the message in it that she needed. Once she was done, the device snapped shut, and she put her elbows on the desk. "Okay, so we have some tea and fruit over there that you can help yourselves to while you wait. You can sit on the chairs or the couch or something if you'd like. Just make yourself comfortable, I guess." Her pager then rang, and she picked it up grudgingly and read the message.

"Ah, that was Anaca. So you do know her." Kate shrugged and waved the device for them to see. "She said she'll be right over."

"Great. Thanks." Sal was helping herself to pouring some hot water in a mug. As she grabbed another and poured a second, she looked at the tea selections.

**Raspberry, Cinnamon and Apple, Chamomile, Peppermint, Black, Green.**

"Hey, which tea do you like?" The human whispered as she grabbed a green tea for herself.

-_Chamomile,_ - Mewtwo replied, taking an apple from the fruit bowl, hiding his clearly nonhuman arms and fingers with a purposeful movement of his garment. The apple vanished into the dark hood of his cloak, and Sal heard him bite it once, then twice, finishing the fruit. Kate saw this and her eyes widened, but she shrugged, going back to the computer and continuing to play her Solitaire game. Sal giggled softly.

-_What?_ - Mewtwo asked her privately. - _I adore apples._ -

- _You adore food, _- Sal replied, still grinning as he took a plum and finished it in the same manner, not even bothering to spit out the pit. Last he took a banana, and stopped after that.

- _Give me a reason I should not leave this banana peel on the floor for this Kate to slip on,_ - Mewtwo said.

-_Because Anaca might slip on it instead, and then you would feel bad,_- Sal answered.

-_True._ -

-_Why chamomile this time of the day? -_ Sal asked.

-_It would take a several cups of chamomile tea to actually affect my natural insomnia. Provided Anaca does not mind, I would like to take as much advantage of this herb's properties as I can._ - Mewtwo said, sipping his tea softly.

It did take awhile for Anaca to get there, long enough that in that time, Sal and Mewtwo had each finished two mugs of tea. When she did come, the girl was also in the same, frazzled state that Sal was. Her hair was frizzy and there were bags under her eyes, even apparent through the foundation that she wore. She was currently in a white tank top and red pants with matching shoes. Her eyes widened as she saw Sal and Mewtwo, still beneath his cloak. Sal wondered if she realized that it was Mewtwo, but before she could say anything, Kate looked over towards her.

"So you know these guys, right?" the receptionist asked. "'Cause I wanna go home."

Sal looked over at Mewtwo. - _Is she serious!_ -

- _Yes,_ - he admitted, sounding as appalled as Sal was.

The teenager growled, giving the receptionist a stern look. She turned to her left towards the desk and whispered at her angrily. Mewtwo turned his head slightly and Sal knew that he could hear every word. "Kate, dang it! Don't say that in front of someone! It's unprofessional. And you didn't even bother to stop chewing your gum, did you?" she sighed, shaking her head. "Go home," she said. "These guys don't need invoices."

"What? They're staying for free?" the woman's eyebrows furrowed. "What's wrong with you?"

"No, Kate!" Anaca said loudly shaking her head and giving the other woman a wide smile. She went over towards Sal, and unexpectedly, she wrapped her arms around the woman's waist. Sal jumped at the sudden action and Mewtwo tensed. "Sal and I go way back! We've been buds forever! She went off to be a Pokémon trainer and I haven't heard from her in so long…"

- _So, it is a ruse!_ - Mewtwo said privately.

"What is this?" Kate leaned back in her seat. "Suddenly all of your friends are visiting, Anaca?"

"Uh… yeah!" Sal said. - _Okay, we'll play along,_- she said to Mewtwo. "Anaca and I went to school together! She invited me over. It's so nice to see you again!"

"Oh, you too, Sal!" Anaca pat her arm in a comforting manner and took her gloved hand. She led her and Mewtwo out of the lobby. "I'll see you tomorrow, Kate!"

"…See ya!" Kate awkwardly waved goodbye. "Weirdoes…" Mewtwo heard her mumble.

Anaca sighed as she heard the entrance door close, the sound of it was loud and it echoed down the hallways. She turned to Sal and put on a large smile. "Wow. You actually played along." She stroked her hair in an awkward manner, and turned around. They continued to walk where Anaca led them. "So… hi. I didn't expect to see you again. I'm sorry about Kate. She's really a good person, but she just lacks a little bit in compassion. She probably thought you were a normal client."

"I need to ask you a favor." Sal went ahead and got to the point. "Can my Pokémon and I stay here? For at least tonight? I'll even pay you for your trouble. I don't want to take advantage of you. But we've just… Well, we've been through a lot," she said. The sick Ampharos, rushing to Cinawood, cramming in a Gym match, only to rush back to Olivine with the medicine and then have another gym battle, Mewtwo's sudden recall of his childhood friend Amber, and his forming of a psychic link to Sal... the last week had been intense, and both she and Mewtwo were mentally drained. She knew that Xanthos and Rose were physically exhausted, and they also knew that the other two were under a great deal of stress.

Anaca chuckled to herself, turning around and putting her hands on her hips. "Sal, you and your Pokémon can stay here as long as you need. No charge. Quite frankly, I don't even want to mess with you paying me or whatever, because then I'd have to file for taxes on it, and then Kate would yell at me for allowing a human to stay here on company bill." Anaca rolled her eyes.

-_You do not seem quite as… cheery, as you were before. I sense you are very anxious about something_. - Mewtwo let his hood fall back now that Kate was gone.

"Mewtwo, you don't know the half of it…" the girl shook her head, but she put on a warm smile as they entered the room she was leading them into "Well, lucky for you, I actually have another guest room, should Sal decide to sleep in a proper bed. But if you still have the same Pokémon then they can sleep in either the healing room or the Pokémon bedrooms. They're all the same beds. It's just that the healing room doesn't currently have anyone in it."

"That's wonderful, but…" Sal bit her lip. "I actually think I want to take a walk, or something."

"You haven't had dinner, have you?" Anaca cocked her head to the side.

"…No. I haven't." The older woman looked to the ground.

"Then you're in luck. I fed all the Pokémon but I still need dinner myself. I'm going to go up and start cooking and I'll go ahead and make something for you and your Pokémon, too." The brunette scratched the back of her neck. "Hey, you guys like fish?"

"Fish is… great." The trainer smiled, thinking of the last time she and Mewtwo had fish.

"Cool. 'Cause I prepped some sushi. Can I take your jackets?"

"Um… no. I think we might want to go outside before the day is done." Sal subconsciously unzipped her jacket, revealing the lavender turtleneck underneath. "Is that okay?"

"That's fine! You do whatever makes you comfortable…" Anaca's face blankened as she thought about something. She looked to the ground awkwardly. "Um… listen, I need to go and check on something. Can you two sit tight here? Just for a moment? You can bring your Pokémon out if you want to. And you can decide where you're gonna sleep."

-_Of course._ - Mewtwo replied. -_And thank you, Anaca. We are very grateful for your selfless hospitality._ -

"Aw, don't mention it…" the female brushed her hand, going back into the hallway.

There were a few moments of silence, Sal pondering what she should do, grasping the Poké Balls and wondering if she should release the rest of her team or not. Mewtwo simply paced around the room, happy to enjoy the quiet. Sal's attention was quickly diverted as she heard young Pokémon voices, and she laughed softly.

"Anaca! Where's Anaca?"

"I think she went this way!"

"This way! This way!"

"Anaca, Anaca! Where are you?"

"Anaca Anaca Anaca!"

"Where are you, Anaca? Where are you?"

A bunch of Eevee swiftly turned the corner into the room. As a result, many of them tumbled and rolled over each other and onto the carpet. Sal grinned broadly as they all tried to crawl out from under each other all at once.

"ANACA ANACA ANACA ANA…" they all looked up, looking at Sal and Mewtwo with curious, wide-eyed gazes.

One Eevee stuck its head out. "Aw, Anaca's not in here! I told you she went to her room!"

"I want Mama! I miss Mama!" one of them cried.

"Hey, look at that!" one of the Eevee pointed in Mewtwo's direction.

"OO-oo…" they all said in unison. As if it were rehearsed they all bowed on the floor, their gazes locked on Mewtwo's tail.

"Wait for it…" one of them said. "WAIT FOR IT…"

- _Oh, no,_ - Mewtwo said, his eyes widening. The little Eevee herd all leapt for Mewtwo's thick tail. One of the young males actually managed to latch on, and Mewtwo moved with a surprising amount of grace for a Pokémon of his size as he stepped delicately around them. He levitated an inch or two off the floor and gilded away from the Eevee that were swarming around him before taking the other one off of his tail and lowering him to the ground. The tiny Eevee dropped into a mock fighting stance.

" You don't look so tough," he snarled.

- _Oh, really?_ - Mewtwo sat on the floor, curling his tail around him. The little Eevee launched himself at him, and Mewtwo batted his head lightly. Sal chuckled, the Eevee wasn't much bigger that Mewtwo's hand.

" Hey go get him, quick," she said, grinning conspiratorially to the other Eevee who gathered around her as she lavished them with attention. They needed no second urging, and hurled themselves at Mewtwo. One of the Eevee ran over, but stopped deciding to simply lay down near Mewtwo, her expression static as she gazed at his face, while the others attacked him. Mewtwo turned to look at the Eevee laying near him.

- _Sal's behind this isn't she?_ - the Eevee grinned, nodding furiously, and the others bobbed their heads in agreement. He flicked his tail and sat up very slowly, and the Eevee all tumbled off of him. He pulled himself into a sitting position again, and his eyes met those of the young female who had sat near him before. They stared at each other unblinking, the only movement in the room being Mewtwo's long thick tail as it oscillated across the smooth floor and the other Eevee began to make a game of catching it.

" Oh thank goodness, there they are I am so sorry," Anaca began as she ran into the room suddenly. The Pokémon paid her no mind, they were in a moment of complete self absorption.

" They're okay, really," Sal said, keeping her voice soft. "Actually I've never seen Mewtwo like this, he's usually only this gentle with me. No, don't disturb them," Sal said as she saw that Anaca was planning to attract the Eevee's attention. "They're all very calm right now, I just know these kind of things…"

"How?" Anaca asked. Sal sighed.

"I'm a psychic, and that gives abilities that not many people have. Even for a psychic, my powers are stronger than most, so I have to be careful, I can't let people touch my skin for example."

"Why? Does it hurt them?" Anaca asked.

"No," Sal answered. " It hurts me, and Mewtwo, because he's connected to me through our psychic link."

She glanced down, noticing Xanthos who had come to rub against her leg. She scratched behind a lionlike ear affectionately, and he made a low thrumming noise in response, seeming caught up in the calm atmosphere around them. Sal had the feeling Mewtwo had something to do with it, he was doing something with his powers that Sal couldn't put her finger on, she hadn't ever seen him try to manipulate others emotions before. He had told her that he could control others minds, and had sworn never to do so again, but perhaps this was as close as he'd ever allow himself. It seemed to help, and Anaca seemed to be relaxing herself, but she looked uncertain as to what she should do. Xanthos padded away softly, heading outside.

"He won't hurt you, you know," Sal said. " Mewtwo's had...a hard life, and he doesn't trust most humans easily. But he likes you, he was pretty annoyed at Kate when we came in."

She focused on Anaca's eyes for a moment. -_He likes to be scratched behind the ears,_ - she told the girl telepathically and saw the other girl jump. She giggled mentally. -_Go on,_- she urged, and the Anaca took a few hesitating steps towards the psychic Pokémon on the floor. -_Wait young ones,_ - Sal said to the Eevee and they froze. Mewtwo mentally seemed his usual aloof self, still staring at the little Eevee. Anaca reached up and hesitantly began to scratch behind Mewtwo's ear.

The psychic type blinked, and Sal sensed his surprise at someone other than Sal scratching his ears, but then he began to purr softly, and Sal smiled, knowing all was well. She was actually a little surprised that Mewtwo really was letting her touch him so close to his neck and back, an area he always guarded closely, but something she sensed from Mewtwo tipped her off that he might accept Anaca. She whistled softly, and the Eevee's all came running and she scratched and petted them too so they wouldn't feel left out.

Sal looked over and saw Rose in the doorway, and the Scizor silently pointed to Mewtwo and Anaca with a grin that Sal returned.

- _A bit farther to the right,_ - Mewtwo said, his eyes only half open now. -_Oh, you are going to put me to sleep,_ - his voice was almost a whisper as his eyes closed completely.

"He would totally pass out on your floor," Sal said with a grin, and Anaca withdrew her hand.

- _I did not tell you to stop,_ - the psychic complained, looking to Anaca.

"C'mon, some fresh air will wake you up," Sal said. " And I will scratch your ears later."

"According to Xanthos, Sal is a champion ear scratcher," Rose said with a grin, "But I don't think I need to remind you of that," she said.

Sal chuckled and Mewtwo got to his feet and offered his hand to Anaca, helping her to her feet as the Eevee's swarmed around her, the almost magical spell Mewtwo had created broken.

- _Thank you for that,_ - he said to Anaca as Sal made her way to the door. She opened it and the wind blew in her ears, drowning out Anaca's response. She sensed Mewtwo come up beside her and he swung his cape back on, leaving the hood down.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Sal took in a deep breath of the icy air as she shut the glass door behind her and Mewtwo. She looked outside, where it was already pretty dark out, so she knew she'd only have a short amount of time before it was so dark that she would have to go back inside. The Pokémon next to her subconsciously grasped the sides of his cloak and pulled it in closer to him and the human looked around her and walked across the open field. In the daytime it must have been a beautiful place, because the grass was neatly cut, and the air was fresh and crisp. She zipped up her jacket and started walking along the field. At this point in her long journey she and Mewtwo were so tired that they really didn't feel like saying anything to each other. They walked for a long while before they came over a hill.

The young woman became a bit surprised as she saw that she wasn't alone. A young man was sitting in the field with a lamp by his side, reading a book. All of his Pokémon had been released and were happily mingling about, either with the other Pokémon of the hatchery or simply taking a nap. What most caught Sal's attention was the fact that an Alakazam was nearby, and seeing that it was also reading something she could safely assume it belonged to the young man. In fact, the human-ish Pokémon was quick to turn its head up, and the stranger did so immediately after.

"Well hello, there!" the tall, lean man was quick to get up from the grass, brushing himself off and coming towards them. Mewtwo stood behind Sal tense at the sight of the human male.

- _Relax, I don't think he wants to hurt us. Not all human males are up to no good you know, _- Sal said to Mewtwo, who only humphed in response.

But the man didn't seem menacing as he came closer. Once he was in her range he stuck out his hand for her to take, and she got a better look at his face. He had very sharp features and pale blue eyes behind his glasses, and he was dressed in a casually nice button up and khaki. By the dim light she almost thought he had strands in his dark hair that were blue. Sal took his hand and shook it momentarily, and his palm was soft for a man, probably from sedentary work. It's not like he looked like an athlete. "I don't think we've met before," he said, and smiled. "My name is Henry Winthrop." His aura was such an intense blue that it seemed to even amuse Mewtwo. They could read this guy like a book.

"I'm Sal," she said. "Do you… work at the hatchery?"

"Yes and no. I am a friend of Anaca, who works here, and I am visiting her and her family for the moment, and as I'm here I'm helping around the hatchery."

"Yeah, I know her, too." Sal brushed some hair that had wound up in her face. "I'm actually staying for a little bit, too. I thought someone else might be here because the receptionist made a comment on how all of Anaca's friends were visiting and she told me she had an 'extra guest room.'"

"Oh! So you're a friend of Anaca's as well? From where, might I ask?"

"I just met her, actually." The young woman shrugged. "A few weeks ago. She helped me when my Pokémon were injured and I came back here to ask to stay for a few nights. I offered to pay but-"

"She didn't accept?" Henry chuckled to himself, and sighed. "Oh, dear Anaca. Bless her heart. She has to be one of the most selfless people I've met. It's unfortunate I haven't been able to see her often."

"Yeah, she's pretty nice."

- _Greetings,_ - the Alakazam inclined his head to Mewtwo, as was common among Psychic types. - _I am Alakazam. _-

- _I am Mewtwo. _- Mewtwo responded, also inclining his head.

- _Mewtwo..._ - the Alakazam seemed thoughtful, and Mewtwo sensed his casual psychic probe reach for Mewtwo. Most psychic Pokémon probed each other upon meeting so that communication between them was easier. -_May I? -_ Mewtwo blinked, he had never been asked for permission into his mind before, those who had wanted something from him had always taken it in the past, be it the minions of Giovanni or the other Legendaries.

It was this Alakazam's politeness that kept the normally guarded Mewtwo from refusing. - _You may._ -

Mewtwo hesitantly reached for the other Psychic Pokémon's mind and as the Alakazam nodded in encouragement, Mewtwo accessed his mind, learning the casual information about the other that most humans learned in a day. He now knew that this Alakazam had lived with this boy Henry for a very long time, and judging by the strength of their psychic link, they were very close. The Alakazam's aura was an indigo hue and Mewtwo hesitated. He hoped that they would come to respect one another, for he was tired of having enemies. He sensed Alakazam examine the newly formed psychic link he had formed with Sal and was nervous, because some Psychic types were very critical about the strength of the bonds that others held with their Trainers. There was also the reason behind the formation of that link, but the other purposely avoided that part of his mind, only examining casual information, as Mewtwo was. As the two humans conversation drew to a close, the two withdrew from each others minds.

- _It is a pleasure to meet you, Mewtwo, _- Alakazam said, his Oriental voice clear and sharp.

-_Ah, yes, it is nice to meet you, too,_ - Mewtwo said, the sudden exchange of pure mental information leaving him slightly dazed. It wasn't something he was used to, and he wasn't entirely sure that he enjoyed it.

"…Mewtwo?" Sal cocked an eyebrow, and Mewtwo realized that he had lost a slight amount of control over his telepathy.

-_Oh, my apologies . I was addressing Alakazam. _- Mewtwo pointed over to where the Pokémon was, embarrassed that he had lost control of his power in front of beings he had just met.

"So I must admit I'm rather curious…" Henry looked over towards Sal's Pokémon with a cocked eyebrow. "And if I am intruding please tell me. How is it that you're companions with a Mewtwo?"

-_You know about me?_ - Mewtwo asked, his tone becoming lower.

The Alakazam had now come from his book and joined the company. He put his hands behind his back and dipped his head towards Mewtwo. -_The boy is very well read. As am I._ - Sal heard the Alakazam speak telepathically, and figured it was towards her Pokémon. -_We are aware of the Mewtwo legends. _-

"Alakazam, don't be so brash!" Henry put his hands on his hips.

"You can talk to Alakazam?" Sal blinked. "Are you a psychic?"

The young man laughed a little. "Oh, no, but that would be very nifty if I was." He gestured towards the yellow Pokémon. "Alakazam made a psychic connection with me a very long time ago, when he was only a Kadabra. I can only speak with him. Say, I have always been curious as to the battle style of a Mewtwo. If you ever feel the urge to, I would love to have a little battle with you!"

At the mention of a battle an odd glint came into Mewtwo's eyes. He hung his cape on a nearby tree, shivering slightly in the cold.

-_You okay? _- Sal asked, noticing his trembling.

- _I am quite cold without my cloak, but the battle will warm me,_- Mewtwo said to her privately. - _I have tried for years to grow a thick winter coat, but I cannot. _-

" Would a double battle be agreeable?" Henry asked, and Sal nodded, glancing at her Mewtwo.

" Now look what you've done," Sal said with a grin. She raised her head and pursed her lips together, whistling loudly. " Yo, Xan!" she shouted.

The Luxray came tearing towards them at top speed, skidding to a halt. "You needed me?"

"Only if you feel like a battle," Sal answered. " Henry, Alakazam, Xanthos, Xanthos, Henry and his Alakazam, " she said. Xanthos offered the human his paw.

-_Xanthos, _- the Pokémon looked over at Mewtwo as the human paused. - _No tricks. _-

" You got it boss," the Luxray said, looking a bit disappointed.

"He likes to play tricks, " Sal explained. "Nothing that bad, the usual Electric type stuff, like zapping people. He's just a big tease really."

"So guess it's just you and me huh?" Xanthos said, fixing a red eye up at Mewtwo. The electric type seemed a bit nervous.

Henry called a second Pokémon, a Poliwrath, who took his place beside Alakazam.

Sal frowned. She clearly had a type advantage in this matchup, but Henry's Pokémon seemed to know each other very well, whereas Xanthos had never battled alongside Mewtwo before. Mewtwo's normal partner was Rose, because the two had known each other for a long time, and they worked well together, but the weather outside was too cold for her.

"Ready?" she asked. Henry nodded silently.

"Xanthos, Thunder Fang on Poliwrath! Mewtwo, Future Sight!"

"Alakazam, Psychic, Poliwrath, Dynamicpunch!"

Xanthos charged at the Poliwrath, and electricity surged across it's body as the Luxray's fangs sank into it's arm. The other Pokémon's Dynamicpunch hit Xanthos dead on, sending the electric type sprawling.

Mewtwo and Alakazam faced off, their eyes both glowing blue with psychic power, but only Alakazam appeared to launch a working attack. Mewtwo grunted as the Psychic hit him full on.

"You okay boss? " Xanthos said getting to his feet and shaking himself.

- _It feels a bit strange to be on the receiving end of a Psychic_, - Mewtwo said. - _But I do have this!_ - A dark sphere of energy formed in the Genetic Pokémon's right hand.

"Poliwrath, Hypnosis on Mewtwo! Alakazam! Confusion on Xanthos!"

"Shadow Ball and Crunch on Alakazam!"

Mewtwo closed his eyes to avoid the Hypnosis. The key to that attack was eye contact, and as long as he didn't look at Poliwrath, he would avoid being put to sleep. He breathed deeply, paying close attention to the way his fur felt. Like an Espeon, Mew was also know for being able to sense their surroundings using their fur. Mew had exceptional fine fur that was even more sensitive than then Pokémon normally associate with this gift, and for once Mewtwo was grateful for having inherited this trait from his ancestor.

- _Is that going to be enough?_ - Sal asked nervously, remembering how huge Morty's Gengar's Shadow Ball had been.

- _Large Shadow Balls are harder to aim and take too long to form,_ - Mewtwo said. - _By forming them this way, I can fire more shots than most other Pokémon could with the same amount of energy._ -

" Whenever you're ready Mewtwo," Sal said calmly. Shadow Ball was a move that Mewtwo had known in the past, and he had said it was one of his favorites. She would just have to trust him.

The Alakazam cried out as Xanthos' Crunch hit. The Alakazam was now on the move, but that didn't bother Mewtwo.

" I'm clear Mewtwo, show 'em how a pro throws a Shadow Ball!" Xanthos called.

Eyes still closed, he threw the Shadow Ball hard, and he heard Henry exclaim in shock and order a Recover, and a Focus Blast directed at Xanthos. Just what he knew Sal had been waiting for.

" Disable Recover! Xanthos, watch out!" Mewtwo sought out the Alakazam's mind with his own and bound the move, chuckling at the other psychic type's frustration.

Suddenly Mewtwo sensed the barometric pressure drop and he smirked, eyes still closed to avoid any more Hypnosis attacks. - _Ah, here it comes, _- he said softly. Despite the risk of being hit with a last minute Hypnosis, Mewtwo cracked his violet eyes open a little, just enough to see the violet beam of psychic energy that seemed to come from nowhere slam into Poliwrath, and the Fighting type went down hard. He never tired of watching Future Sight, it was a beautiful move.

" Now, Shadow Ball!" Mewtwo decided that since his opponent was an Alakazam, and clearly one with a very typical moveset at that, he might as well indulge in a bit of fun.

He threw six Shadow Balls in a tight cluster straight for Alakazam and then another twelve, six on both the Pokémon's left and right. Henry's eyes widened at the excessive assault and Alakazam fell to the ground.

He walked over to retrieve his cape Henry recalled his own Pokémon.

- _I told you getting supplies in Cinawood was worth the expense_, - Mewtwo remarked, waving away the Hyper Potion his Trainer offered him and Sal nodded in agreement as she rubbed the contents of a bottle of Hyper Potion into Xanthos' fur. _- It is getting colder, we should get inside. I would also like to know what you have heard of me, Henry, for there are a great deal of rumors that go around among Trainers ,_- Mewtwo said.

"Well of course, good man." Henry dipped his head. "I would be more than happy to. It's in any Legendary Pokémon reference book, " he said, soundly surprised that Mewtwo didn't know anything about it.

The Haddelles used to have a full-length table that had twelve seats on it at once, but one by one, as their children grew up, the table itself had shrunken. Currently they had a wooden, round table of four, and since Anaca's family normally ate in the living room these days, the table had become a spare desk. She had to get the tablecloth out and take a lot of mail and paperwork off of it, stuffing it into an empty cabinet. But after all the work, it paid off. Anaca was in the kitchen were numerous bowls and pots and knives had been laid out. She had just finished chopping her last roll of sushi and used her knife to transport them onto serving platters. Once done, she took them into her grasp and came in from the kitchen, balancing the serving dishes that were filled with several kinds of sushi. She set them on the table, where Sal, Henry, and Mewtwo were sitting.

"You guys go ahead and eat." She said, brushing her hands together before pointing at the young man of the group. "And Henry, this is casual, dang it. Don't pull the 'it's not polite to eat until the host eats' card on me, because you're going to starve that way. As the host you follow my instructions."

The young man put his hands up in a surrendering gesture, his eyebrows raised and a cheeky smile on his face. "Alright, Anaca. If you so insist."

"Don't let him fool you." The hostess grinned to Sal. "He's always so prim and proper. I have to pull his leg just to get him to not ask for permission for whatever he does."

"You make that sound like it's a bad thing…" Henry pouted. "Oh, boo."

"Shut up." Anaca playfully snapped her fingers at him, heading back into the kitchen. After serving the main dish she came out with other side dishes. Bean sprouts, regular rice, something that looked like vinegar and cabbage, then a bowl of a shredded, light green substance, another dish of what appeared to be simply raw cuts of fish in a sauce, and a steaming batch of dumplings. She set these items on the table and finally sat down for herself, picking up a pair of silver chopsticks. But thinking about something, she raised her head to look up at Mewtwo.

"Hey," she said, and she caught the Pokémon's attention. "I know Pokémon of your size have fast metabolisms," she said. "And there's plenty more where all of this came from. So please, eat until you're full and tell me if you'd like more. I made a bunch all of this because we had a lot of salmon to use."

"Alakazam is the same way," Henry observed as the food was being circulated. "I once took him to a restaurant for his birthday and he ate three whole meals."

"Well, Henry, I think anyone could eat three meals that are THIS BIG." Anaca made a circle with her thumb and index finger. She laughed and passed along a side dish of rice.

The young man rolled his eyes. "No, Anaca, I took him to a regular restaurant with regular sized portions, you know, the ones so big that they can cause obesity in themselves."

Anaca turned to look to Sal. "Henry goes to these restaurants where they smack a teaspoon of fish eggs on the table and call it 'fancy.' His parents are loaded."

"Wow, Anaca, thank you for such an introduction." Henry laughed as he served himself some bean sprouts. "I'm sure that Sal thinks I am such a genuine person!"

"Hey, Sal, you okay?" the hostess noticed that, while Mewtwo was hungrily chomping down on one sushi roll after another, Sal was hesitantly looking at the platter in front of her. It had been a long time since Sal had had sushi, and she was trying to remember if she liked it or not. "Um… if you're funny about raw fish, I can steam you up some salmon if you'd like. The dumplings are made of cooked beef, too, if you'd like those. But I promise that this stuff is sushi grade and perfectly safe to consume uncooked."

"You should start out with the shrimp one, dear." Henry pointed with his chopsticks to the most basic sushi there was, two raw shrimp that had been placed over a square knob of rice.

"None of these are spicy. I hate using Wasabi." Anaca added. "Or, fake Wasabi at that. The kind bought at the general store is mostly made of mustard and horseradish. Real Wasabi is really expensive and not a lot of people get it."

-_It is very tasty, Sal, _- Mewtwo telepathically told her. -_It is not as bad as you think. It is very mild, but also very fresh. _- he paused for a moment as he helped himself. - _Do not worry, I think you will enjoy it,_ - he said privately to her. - _Ah, it has been far too long since I've been able to eat something like this. _- He was obviously enjoying it immensely.

The human then started to put about five pieces of sushi onto her plate, trying not to be rude. She did as Henry suggested and took a bite of the shrimp one, first. And it turned out that he was right. It tasted very pleasant, and it didn't have the rubbery texture she thought that raw seafood would have.

"So…" Sal tried to direct attention away from her hesitant sampling of the sushi. "You and Henry know each other from school?"

"Ah, yes. We went through all of elementary together until I moved to Kanto when I was about twelve." Henry clarified. "And get this, Sal. I come back after graduating high school, five years of not seeing one of my closest friends, and she greets me with a gun in her hand!"

Anaca was quick to defend herself though, and the two of them started to laugh. "He popped out of nowhere at friggin' eleven at night when it was completely dark outside and he had an ominous trench coat on. He freaked me out!"

Sal quickly came to that the two were very lighthearted around each other. She heard Mewtwo mentally chuckle at how Anaca and Henry would play off of each other like this. They were entertaining to both listen to and watch their expressions, and it was nice to see Anaca in a more carefree state of mind then the stressed figure she was earlier that day. The young adult squirmed a little bit as she felt something furry on her feet. She looked down under the table, smiling widely and laughing. All seven of the little Eevee were huddled together under it, and she hadn't noticed until just now. They were curled up into little balls, or lying down and grooming themselves. But they were all silent, as Sal hadn't heard them say anything, and their auras were very calm.

"What's funny, Sal? I wanna laugh!" Anaca looked under the table. "…Oh. Yeah, they do that when we're eating. They have dinner with the rest of the Pokémon, and then always rest after their meals as my family is having dinner themselves."

"How did you get these Eevee anyway? And why aren't they with the rest of the hatchery Pokémon?" Sal looked above the table once more.

"I asked that too. I think you forgot to tell me," Henry added.

The girl chuckled dryly to herself and shook her head. She folded her hands on the table and leaned over. "Okay, long story short: I'm sitting in Olivine city eating lunch after stocking up on Pokémon food. Suddenly a burlap sack is dumped into my lap and two complete strangers tell me to keep it. Then police come, and I find out the strangers were running from them, and using me to dump evidence. Next thing I know, one of the officers knew I worked at the hatchery and told me to keep them. And because they don't belong to anyone and I got them as eggs, my parents told me that they're my responsibility. And I still don't know what I'm going to do with them. It's kinda funny, because they all have their different personalities but I can't tell them apart."

"Why don't you just name them?" As soon as Sal suggested this, it was like the taboo phrase for the day. Anaca shook her head manically, her eyes becoming wide. She pointed her chopsticks in Sal's direction, chuckling manically.

"Oh, no, no, no, and NO!" the teenager protested, now speaking in a louder and authoritative, all-knowing tone. "Because as SOON as you NAME something, you get ATTACHED TO IT. It happened to me once WAY long ago when I was at the hatchery. I named a Pichu I wanted to keep 'Cupcake,' and the next day, whoop-de-do, he got adopted and I cried my little eyes out!" She leaned back in her seat. "And it's hard not to name them, too. One of them I want to call 'Princess' because she acts like one. But I have to RESIST because if they DO go up for adoption I DON'T want to go through that."

"Well the Eevee are much like house pets, anyway," her male companion pointed out. "Why don't you just get them collars? It sounds like it would make things a lot easier for you, and it wouldn't be a huge investment. And then you'd be able to tell them apart."

-_That is a very smart idea, Henry. _-Mewtwo acknowledged, dipping his head. -_Then Anaca would recognize them individually without becoming "attached," as she calls it._ -

"Y'know… I never thought about that." The girl nodded, thinking to herself. "And collars can come with pendants and colors that can remind me who is who…" she shook her head. "Okay, so maybe I'll go ahead and do that. Thanks, Henry." She playfully patted him on the shoulder.

"See? I'm not completely useless!" he smiled in a silly way.

- _Henry,_ - Mewtwo said, wiping his mouth with his napkin before continuing. The human gave the psychic his attention, and Mewtwo made a mental noise that sounded as if he was clearing his throat. Sal gave her Pokémon her full attention as well, knowing that that was Mewtwo's way of indicating to her that what he was about to say was serious. -_Before, you and Alakazam mentioned something you referred to as the legends of Mewtwo. _-

"Yes, Professor Samuel Oak of Pallet just published a book on his findings, I'm amazed that you haven't heard of it," Henry said with a slight frown.

"Come to think of it, I think he did mention a new book on Pokémon Talk a few months ago, but I didn't write it down," Sal said.

- _And you didn't say anything to me! _- Mewtwo hissed privately.

- _I only heard part of it, the radio was static-y, and by the time I found a pen and paper, I had forgotten the title, _- Sal snapped back to him, but aloud she spoke to Henry. "What was is called? The book?" she clarified.

"Phantoms of Kanto: Mew and Mewtwo," Henry answered.

- _I'll remember it._ - Mewtwo said, no longer shielding his telepathy from the others, but Sal sensed the smugness that crept across their psychic link, as if to say that he wouldn't forget.

"I won't ruin the book for either of you, but you are the second of your kind that I have met." Henry said.

"What, but as far as we know, there aren't any other Mewtwo," Sal said.

- _What happened? _- Mewtwo asked.

"It was early summer and I was on my way home. The weather was warm, but it was also quite dark because I had spent a bit more time in the library than I had intended to. I had the strangest feeling, almost as if I was being watched, so I released Alakazam, whom was a Kadabra at the time to stay close to me, in case there was danger. Kadabra told me that someone was following us, so we tried to hurry away, but as we turned down our street, a Pokémon that neither of us had ever seen before stood in front of us, wearing dark grey armor that covered most of its body."

"A Mewtwo wearing body armor? What did it look like?" Sal asked.

"As I said it was a dark gray, very plain and bulky, with round shoulder plates and arm guards, with torso pieces that were the same gray, and tarsal guards that protected his feet. The helmet covered his head completely - I couldn't see his face."

Mewtwo's eyes widened at this, and looked rather shaken. He stopped eating entirely and as he hid his hands under the table, Sal noticed that they were shaking.

- _Mewtwo?_ - She looked over at him, concerned. When Mewtwo didn't respond, Sal probed his mind gently, the mental equivalent of knocking on someone's door. Mewtwo responded by slamming that mental door in her face, and Sal sensed his mental defenses go up, effectively locking everyone and everything out of his mind. -_Mewtwo, what is that matter with you?_ - she demanded, a little angry now, but Mewtwo refused to respond.

"Kadabra asked it who it was and why it had been following us. It was quiet for a long time before it answered, " Henry was saying. "When he finally did, he said to us, ' I am Mewtwo. I was sent to find you. I cannot tell you by whom, or for what purpose.' The armor was damaged as if the Mewtwo had traveled a long way or had been fighting, so I asked him if he wanted something to eat. He seemed afraid at the prospect of taking food from me, but I took out an apple I had in my backpack and offered it to him. I told him that I wasn't going to hurt him. He told me that I wasn't the one he was afraid of, but he took the apple from me. He stared at it for a long while, and it wasn't until after I encouraged him to eat it that he started to." Henry paused for a moment. "Unlike our friend here, that Mewtwo ate that apple very slowly as if he was savoring every bit of it. He then asked me, 'Do you know of a man named Giovanni Rochetto?' I told him that I had seen him a few times, that he was a businessman, and that my parents often had dealings with him. I'd even played with his son Damien." Sal's eyes widened in realization.

"Does he have red hair and russet eyes? "she asked Henry suddenly and the man blinked in surprise.

"Yes, he does. Why?" Henry asked.

"Oh, I was just curious," she said, "Please, go on." She didn't want to interrupt Henry's story with talk of Damien of all people.

"He then lowered himself to my height and got so close that I could almost see his eyes through the helmet's visor, and said 'If you value your life and your freedom, flee from him. If you see me again in this armor, you must run from me. Destroy me if you must, in order to live. I wish no harm upon you.' It was the best advice anyone could have given me."

"Giovanni? I've heard that name before somewhere, but I don't remember where," Anaca said.

"He was the leader of Team Rocket." Sal said quietly. She felt for Mewtwo's hand under the table. When she found it, she began to move her thumb in quick circles over the top of his hand as she held it. -_It's okay, he can't hurt you anymore. You're mine now, _- she said to him telepathically.

- _It does not stop the memories, _- Mewtwo answered privately. _- If only I could erase my own memories as easily as I can erase others. _-

- _I know,_ - she returned.

- _Thank you for your account Henry. I'll have to read that book you mentioned._ - Mewtwo said openly to Henry and the young man nodded.

"Although I don't ever remember seeing that book, you might want to take a look in the library here, Mewtwo. " Anaca said. " We have plenty of books, and Sal tells me that you're as much a bookworm as Henry is, " She said with a smile. "I could be wrong about now having that book, come to think of it," she said after a few moments. " Dad did buy a whole ton of books recently."

Mewtwo glanced down at his plate. He still had a few pieces of sushi on his plate, but the Genetic Pokémon had now lost his appetite. - _May I be excused? _- he asked Anaca, and the girl groaned.

"I told you this casual," she said shaking her head. "Go on, the library is down the hall, to the left, then to the right. "

- _Thank you, _- Mewtwo said, getting up from his seat, being mindful of his tail. - _Sal, you are welcome to the rest of my sushi, I do not want it,_ - he added, and the girl nodded, taking his plate.

"Did I say something wrong?" Henry asked hesitantly. "He seemed rather shaken, "

Sal knew that Mewtwo's time with the Rocket's was a very hard time for him, and she knew that it would be far better for him to talk to Henry.

"Don't worry about him," she said. "He'll be fine."

Sal began to gather up the dinner plates and Anaca immediately began to protest, seeing as Sal was a guest. "Oh, that's sweet of you. But I'm doing the dishes anyway, and-"

Sal moved the plate out if her grasp. Anaca's gaze blankened. "Hey, Henry swallowed his pride and let me take care of him. Now you do the same. You're my guest and I'm going to treat you as such."

"You fed me and all my Pokémon, even Mewtwo, and Pokémon like him are hard to care for. I'm not as well off as your friend here, " Sal said, looking over at Henry.

The young man put his hands up in the air, shaking his head. "I'm staying out of this."

"Don't act like your family doesn't have their servants cater to you." Anaca's gaze narrowed, and she grinned in a mischievous way. She gestured towards Sal with her plate. "But seriously, Sal, please. It's all the more reason for me to take them. It's a small little thing but I want you to relax and have a nice time here before you go off and-"

Sal's eyes glowed blue and as she made a long sweeping motion with her hand, all of the dishes swept towards her and stacked themselves neatly a few centimeters above her hand. Anaca chased after the psychic, complaining noisily.

"Okay, cute. Now gimme-" she gasped in shock as Sal started to run towards the kitchen from the dining room. The hatchery worker balled her fists and ran after her. "Sal, you're being ridiculous! This is my house and my dishes!" In the background, Henry was laughing as he wiped his glasses with the cloth napkin that was sitting in his lap.

"Why are you being so defensive?" Sal stopped, turning around to face her.

"I'm the host, now hand them over!" Anaca then screamed in fright as Sal focused her power on her, halting the other girl and holding her in midair. "Ha, ha, very FUNNY. Now LET ME DOWN."

"Anaca, Anaca, Anaca, Anaca!" All of the Eevee who were formerly curled up under the table then ran into the kitchen as they heard the commotion going on.

Henry quickly ran into the kitchen to see what was going on. He took a banana that was on a rack and pointed it towards them. "What's going on? I'm going to shoot this thing!"

Mewtwo wandered into the kitchen, taking in the whole scene before him. He gave Henry a rather funny look, seeing as the young man was pointing a banana like a gun, and the human smiled in an awkward manner. The psychic smirked and chuckled.

- _Perhaps I should not have taught you quite so much,_ - he remarked to Sal, crossing his arms, but he looked amused, not angry at her display of power.

"LET ME DOWN! NOW!" Anaca demanded, and Sal grinned in amusement.

"Mewtwo," Henry said in a chiding tone. "Haven't you ever taught your Trainer that it's improper to levitate your host? Shameful," he added, tsking.

Mewtwo laughed softy, which surprised Sal, she had never heard him give more than a slight chuckle. - _Let her go, I believe she has had enough,_ - he said to the other psychic privately, and Sal let Anaca go as she situated herself firmly in front of the sink. Anaca joined her and Sal grudgingly scooted over.

"We have a wonderful invention here," the human girl pointed towards a white dishwasher that was on the far corner of the kitchen. "It's called an automatic dishwasher. And we load the dishwasher and then it cleans the dishes for us and then out pops out clean dishes."

Sal rolled her eyes at Anaca's sassy attitude, and took the dishes that the teenager had left and headed for the device. The girl pulled a switch on the dishwasher to allow it to open, and the two of them started to pack in the dishes and the cooking wear that was used to make the meal.

Henry set the banana onto the counter beside him, and started to approach the two women. "Aw, Anaca, isn't this great? It's like your very first sleepover!"

"Yeah, Henry, rub it in my face that you, a nerd, are more social than me, a hermit." Anaca rolled her eyes as she set a cutting board into the washer.

"Do you know what we did after supper at the academy?" The young man then came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, leaning his head on her shoulder.

The girl rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in annoyance and standing up. "What?"

"We went to DANCING CLASS!" Henry used his grasp on her to twirl the girl around, unexpected. She tumbled off of her feet for the young man to catch her with his right arm, and he took advantage of it and took her other hand into his own. He flipped her back up and started to formally waltz with her around the room.

"DANGIT HENRY." Anaca attempted to kick his shins but he maneuvered around them.

"Ah, for the next hour we would be paired with our dancing partners and learn the Foxtrot, Swing, Latin, the classic Waltz, even the TANGO!" he spun her out.

"God, Henry!" the teenage girl couldn't help but laugh as he used her hand to twirl her back in. Now she was facing away from him, and Henry put his chin on her shoulder as he continued the waltz.

Sal was staring rather wide-eyed at the situation. Henry grinned. "She knows she loves it."

"I DO NOT."

"Aw, but you used to be my dance partner when we were little!" the man twirled her with his arm so that she would face him once more. "You used to help me when Mother would demand that I practice my ballroom dancing for a party we were throwing! …That being because you were the only girl at the time who would even talk to me, but still!"

"Yeah, that was years ago! I think you know now how to ballroom dance! Now let go of me!"

Mewtwo then walked his way over to Sal, who was still attending to some of the silverware and cooking utensils to put into the wash. He tapped her on the shoulder, and the psychic female turned around. His tail twitched with a devious idea, and he too began to waltz with her about the room. Sal's face then shrunk into a puckering expression of protest, as she stumbled along, not having the faintest idea as to what she was doing..

- _Mewtwo! I can't dance!_ -

- _Ah, then I suppose that it is better for you that I can,_ - Mewtwo responded. - _I would dance with the nurse that I brought to New Island, simply to learn and practice, but it is not the same when your partner is bent to your own will,_ - he said, sounding almost sorrowful.

Sal sighed and gave in, drawing herself closer to him and allowing her head to rest on his strong chest.

"We wanna dance too!" the tiny little Eevee bounced up and down, wanting to join in on the fun. They started running around in circles around the dancing couples, and the others laughed at the display.

- _I believe I will depart for the library, _- Mewtwo said. - _So if you will excuse me..._- he drifted out of the kitchen quietly.


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

A few minutes later, Sal walked down the hall to the library. She wanted to check on Mewtwo. He had seemed shaken about their dinner conversation, and Sal knew that he would obsess over his past unless she managed to distract him with the present and future. She noticed that most Pokémon lived more or less in the present. Brooding over the past was more of a human thing, and Sal wondered for the thousandth time if the Rockets using human DNA when they made him had an effect on the way that he thought, compared to other Pokémon.

As she came near the library, she became aware of telepathic voices, and what the voice said made her stop.

-_So, if I may ask, though you probably will not respond truthfully… Are you the Mewtwo from the Kanto legend?_ -

Sal masked her psychic signature from the speaker and closed her mind to Mewtwo. She could feel tension in the air, and while her good judgment told her to leave, her curiosity caused her to stay and listen. She flattened herself against the wall.

-_No,_ - Mewtwo said quickly, answering the other's question. _- I am not. I say that truthfully. I was not even aware of that legend until Henry told me._-

Sal blinked. The idea that there were things about himself that Mewtwo didn't know seemed next to impossible. Could Henry be right, and there was another Mewtwo?

- _I believe you._ - Sal snuck a peek at the mystery speaker, and realized that it was Henry's Alakazam.

- _But then that begs the question, where did the legends originate from? There are no other Mewtwo but me. I am alone._ - Mewtwo was saying. -_Sal said that Samuel Oak, the Professor, acquired documents of some kind but..._- her Pokémon's voice trailed off. -_These legends your Trainer speaks of trouble me. _-

-_Humans will seek after legendary Pokémon to have within their grasp for whatever purpose they chose._ - Only the greedy ones, Sal thought. - _I have read those same legends, and they are, indeed, just legends. -_The other Pokémon said matter-of-factly. Sal disagreed. She firmly believed in those legends, and what did it matter if the world thought her a fool for it, but the Alakazam then seemed to declared nearly opposite. _- I would not be surprised if there was more than one of your kind. I do not see what part of it is troubling for you, but I am sure there is a reason. I would not be surprised if there were more legendary Pokémon than I have come to read about myself._ - Was he trying to give both sides of the argument, Sal wondered, or was she misinterpreting him?

"I am still troubled…" Mewtwo said, and Sal didn't blame him. Were he any other Pokémon, Sal would be delighted to discover more existed, but what she had learned about Mewtwo's past told her that any other Mewtwo in the world could be deadly to anyone who discovered it.

-_Then let us talk about something that does not trouble you._ - Alakazam said. -_There is something unique I sensed in your Trainer, but I have not had the chance to converse with her. What are your thoughts on her? Might I know a little about her? _- Sal perked up her ears, curious as to what Mewtwo might say of his own accord.

-_Sal has gift, even among psychic humans. From what I have seen of her ability and from what I have read of the skills of other psychic Trainers of renown, such as Sabrina of Saffron, and Will of the Elite Four, I believe that she may surpass them, but my knowledge is limited by the accounts of others, for I have met neither of them myself. I do know that her gift has it's curses as well as its blessings. She tends to subconsciously avoid other humans because being near them brings her pain. And yet what she has endured has made her strong._ - Mewtwo took a breath and began again. -_I met Sal by pure coincidence. I was in Violet City investigating a presence in the Ruins of Alph. I know not what it was, but it's power lured me there. I also happened across a Trainer named Ash Ketchum. The boy has a gift, for good or ill, I don't know. Strange things happen to him, and the Legendaries speak his name frequently._- Ash had met other Legendary Pokémon aside from Mewtwo? The girl was surprised, but turned her attention back to Mewtwo when he spoke. - _Sal was with him, and began to explore the Ruins, as was I. Through an unexpected event, she captured me unintentionally with a Master Ball that belonged to her father, and she released me, when so many would have done everything in their power to enslave me. I would have simply left her to her own fate, but Mew intervened. _-

-_Mew?_ - The Alakazam sounded as amazed, as any other did at the mention of that name. -A_nd how did a Mew intervene? _-

-_The Mew had a… preconceived idea that I needed to learn some kind of "lesson." And she stripped me of my levels and told me I would have to regain them on my own by the use of this… girl. _-

-_Really, now?_ - the other Pokémon said. - _Well, you may find it to be rather burdensome, but in a more optimistic light, you are now given the chance that most Pokémon of your magnitude are not given. And that will give you experience to make you even stronger than you were before your powers were stripped, in body, and in mind._- Sal smiled to herself. She had been trying to tell Mewtwo the same thing for ages now, but Alakazam made it sound a lot better than she did. Perhaps Mewtwo would understand him better. - _But the Ruins of Alph… are no foreign thing to me. I think I might know what that "presence" you were trying to investigate was.-_

-_What?_ - Mewtwo asked.

-_The Ruins of Alph are home to a Psychic Pokémon known as Unknown._ - Alakazam began. -_Alone, they are weak, but when together they form a hive mind and are extremely dangerous, capable of altering the space and reality around themselves at will. I read an account of a Professor who was studying the Unknown who told of how the Unknown altered the reality of an entire town in Johto in order to please a young human child, the man's daughter. They were even capable of manifesting a replica of Entei that was capable of incredible power, even more so than the true Beast of Fire. Curiously enough, he also mentioned a Trainer by the name of Ash Ketchum. Apparently he was a friend of the family ._- Ash's name kept on popping up, but Sal hadn't seen him since their encounter in Violet City.

-_I… I see…_- the cat-like Pokémon stammered slightly, and Sal realized that they had only narrowly avoided encountering this powerful force. If Mewtwo was unnerved about the power of the Unknown, then staying away from the Ruins might be a good idea. She heard rather than saw him take a sip of something before speaking again. -_Alakazam, why did Henry do what he did? Not only did he pit you up against me but he chose a Poliwrath, out of all the other Pokémon you had. Why?_-

The Alakazam mentally chuckled. - _Henry comes from a family obsessed with proper mannerisms. Ever since I've known Henry, which was when I was given to him as a birthday present when he was merely seven years old, his parents have always drilled it in the boy to "Treat a woman like the most delicate, most ancient teacup in existence_. -

Sal heard Mewtwo chuckle, and she imagined that he might find the concept a bit ridiculous. Pokémon females were anything but fragile. -_That's how they said it?_ - He sounded incredulous, and a tad disdainful.

-_That is how they worded it. Many, many a time_. - The Alakazam said, sipping a substance that Sal guessed was tea. -_But Henry has taken that to heart. He always lets a lady win the Pokémon battle, even if it means making himself look like he makes foolish decisions. Henry did not offend you, did he? I'm sure that was never his intention. _- Sal gulped nervously, knowing that Mewtwo took his battles very seriously.

-_No, we have been through two Gym matches this week, and our match against Jasmine was exceptionally difficult, because we lack a team member who is strong against Steel types. _- Sal blinked in surprise. -_So many of our battles have be serious as of late, I believe Sal fears for our health, despite my assurances to her that we are fine. My knowledge in medicine has made me an unofficial team medic._ - Sal shook her head, remembering, but what he said next caused her to look up. -_Honesty I worry more for Sal's health than for ours. She puts a great deal upon herself. I have tried to protect her from a great deal, especially those things that pertain to me that may bring her harm, such as my efforts to find placement among the hierarchy of the Legendaries, but she seems to get it out of me somehow. It's maddening._ - Did he really feel that much concern for her, Sal wondered. - _As of late, she fears that if I were accepted into the ranks of the Legendaries, that they would force me to leave her. I try to assure her that they have made no mention of such a thing, yet I still wonder, after all it is because of them that I am now with Sal_. - Was Mewtwo really starting to see her as more than just a human, just a means to an end?

-_You have quite a plight on your hands, Mewtwo. It must test you._ - The Alakazam said. -_But you must come to terms that Sal chose to be a Trainer and she did so for a reason. She left when she did for a reason. You even encountered her for a reason, as Mew confirmed. I do not believe in coincidences._-

_-…Really, now?_ - Mewtwo was not on to blindly accept such things as fate and coincidences.

-_Do you know why I'm even here, Mewtwo?_ -

_-…Because you are here with Henry_. - Mewtwo responded immediately, blindly logical in his response.

-_And Henry chose to come here because I am the one who suggested to him to pay a visit to Anaca. _- The Alakazam said. -_And now because of that decision, we are sitting here, and you are expressing some burdens that as it is not hard to tell, have been dealing a great toll on you. And that is no coincidence, my friend. When you approach life in the aspect that everyone and everything has a purpose, a reason, you learn to be more open minded to learn and grow. _- Sal nodded to herself in agreement.

-_All my life I have been searching for a meaning to my existence, a purpose as to why I exist. The one responsible for my existence claimed that I was created by humans to obey humans, that that was my destiny_. - Sal's fists balled and she snarled in the shadows of her hiding place. -_I was forced to serve him for quite some time. But Sal is as different from him as the sun is from the moon. She told me that people and Pokémon need each other, by why? I have read many old legends from Sinnoh that tell of a time when humans and Pokémon lived separate lives - Why did that change? Sal could not tell me. The legendaries cannot tell me, or will not. Perhaps I will not know until I stand before Arceus on the day of my trial to determine my entry into the hierarchy._ -

-_Mewtwo… if you're wise with your actions… you will know the answer to that question better than any other legendary Pokémon in the hierarchy._ -

-_But why?_ - the other demanded. -_Why do we need them when we can survive on our own?! You would be well off without your trainer and so would I!_- Sal gasped softly, catching a glimpse of the Mewtwo of not so long ago, the one who distrusted humans and wished them gone, just as Rose had described and Mewtwo himself had admitted. Sal was now more confused about how Mewtwo felt about her than before.

-_But I would not be happy._ - The Alakazam said simply, and chucked. Sal didn't need to see Mewtwo's face to know his reaction. -_My friend, I may as well tell you… Yes, I could make it out in the wild on my own. I would probably be fine. But on nights like these, when it's cold outside… I can curl up here, and read a book in the comfort and love of my birthplace, and not desperately huddle for warmth in the forest._ - Sal sighed, her heart torn. She would love for Mewtwo to feel the same as Alakazam did, but he only wanted his own freedom. Sal couldn't blame him, but she had come to love him. For all his faults, he seemed to be the only one in this world who understood her and if he were to leave, she didn't know if she could handle it.

-_Your… birthplace?_ - Mewtwo asked, pulling Sal from her thoughts.

-_Henry's parents, the Winthrops, commissioned Anaca's parents, the Haddelles, to produce a Abra egg and hatch it. And that is my origin. This is my birthplace. Anaca's mother was the one that hatched me. I remember it all clear as day… Pokémon and humans can live on their own and be fine. But when together… ultimately, Mewtwo, despite your protests, we make each other happier than we could ever be apart_. - Sal nodded to herself. Alakazam was expressing everything to Mewtwo that Sal herself had be trying to tell him and not knowing how. -_I love Henry more than anything. I trust him with my life and he trusts me with his, and I am proud to be under his care. I have watched that boy grow up and I have had the privilege and honor of being able to grow alongside him for all my life. When I was younger, when I was hurt in a battle or in an accident, there was nothing more consoling, nothing more tender, than having a loving master embrace you, heal you, and tell you that everything was going to be alright. Now, would I rather lounge in my master's beautiful house in Ecruteak, or the places that he travels, or would I rather freeze my fur off in the woods and fend for myself? I chose the first, any day. And as much as Henry tries to give me, I give back to him. It benefits us both._- Sal felt tears flow silently down her face, and she wiped them away. If given the choice between his freedom and her, Mewtwo would claim his freedom in an instant, not giving her a second thought. He would never come to love her as she wished he would love her, as Alakzam loved Henry.

Mewtwo was quiet for a long time. -_Perhaps I have seen too much of the evils of the world. _- He admitted slowly, and Sal looked up in shock. -_I have spend many a night alone in cold city streets with nothing more than my cape and my questions. Not long after I had first met Sal, I had a nightmare. It was strange and distorted, and I still do not understand it. But when I awoke, I was distracted from my own terror by Sal's. She too had dreamt a nightmare - the long buried memory of her father's effort to murder her because of her gift, and the Pokémon she called Asterisk who stood in his way and died in her place, only to somehow rise up again and leave Sal behind with nothing more than memories and a weak psychic link. In my anger and fear of the unknown I destroyed that bond. I wonder now if it was a mistake to do so, but I you know as well as I do the dangers of leaving a strange psychic link in someone's mind. I did not want anyone intruding on Sal's thoughts or emotions or mine through her, fate forbid. She… she comes to me in the night, saying that she does so simply because she feels safe with me._ - He paused. -_I am not certain I understand your answers, but I thank you for them._ - Confident that there was no evidence of her having shed tears, Sal unmasked her presence and entered the room, her blanket wrapped around her thin frame like a dark blue cape.

"So did you find a book yet?" She asked casually, coming to sit beside him. Mewtwo's tail curled around her torso comfortably as she spoke, and Sal relaxed.

-_Yes, but I was speaking to Alakazam._ - Mewtwo absentmindedly reached for his tea, and upon discovering it was cold, warmed it using his powers. -_What was it like? Being a 'normal' Pokémon, for lack of a suitable expression?_- he asked the other Pokémon.

-_Well…_- the Alakazam looked to the floor in pondering. -_It's… interesting. Very interesting, to say the least. But you can't judge the life of a Pokémon by just one._-

-_Just… enlighten me. What are some recollections of yours?- _The Mewtwo brushed him on.

-_Would you like some tea, Sal? _- the Alakazam looked in her direction.

"Oh, no. I've been sipping tea constantly since I've gotten here." Sal wiggled her toes, which were getting cold, and buried them under her blanket. "But thank you."

-_Well, I remember going to school with Henry…_- the Pokémon began. -_He was a young boy, and often after school the children would get together and they would all battle their Pokémon. Henry was one of them, but people only wanted to battle him to humiliate him. And I remember having many sessions of my youth of crying along Henry's side. The boy may seem light hearted but he has never fit in anywhere… and it is rather unfortunate._-

"Anaca and Henry seemed really close." Sal remembered what had happened at the dinner. "And I'm probably intruding but… are they, like… dating?"

-_Oh, no. Nothing of the sorts. - _The Alakazam chuckled. -_Though I remember for the longest of times that Henry had a crush on Anaca, but that was when he was very young. Once we left and went to Kanto I suppose the feelings faded. But the two of them were always very close, yes, both naturally affectionate people. You're not the first to think they were courting, and sometimes I have to wonder what is amiss in Henry's naturally passionate heart… But back to Mewtwo's question. Even when we left for Kanto, Henry still didn't fit in, even with the many other boys that came from rich background and posh-risen lives… Henry had a head on his shoulders. He had maturity, and the rest of the schoolmates didn't. I remember many times trying to refrain from attacking them when they would do very harsh things to him. Gang up their Pokémon on his, throw dodgeballs at him, even stick his head in the toilet and flush it with what they called a 'swirly.' The only thing that encouraged Henry was his love to learn, and the only thing that encouraged me was the bond that we shared. It seemed to make it all better, even in the face of evil… I like to think of evil as the result of when people are hurt, and when they dwell on the hurt, and the hurt forms a scar instead of healing to new flesh. What made Henry not become as bad as the people who were doing those things to him was that he recognized the evil. He recognized the wrong. And when he hurt, he sought comfort and not vengeance. But many people do not come to that conclusion, and that is why there are turmoils, evil in this world. I am fortunate to be an intelligent species of Pokémon, and I know that many species, such as the ones as naïve as Anaca's little Eevee, are very happy for the day and time we live in and the wonderful agreement that we have found with humans. It is all about finding your place in the world… and finding your path. My path is to continue to live life with Henry and be his guide. And I am happy for that path…_- Henry's Pokémon looked up towards Sal and gave a warm gaze. -_Well, Sal, you certainly came when Mewtwo and I were having a conversation, but it is getting late, and we have time for the next day. I certainly enjoyed your company._ -

"I… Well…" Sal blinked, looking to the floor, now feeling slightly guilty about intruding on their conversation. "Thank you for your company, I suppose."

-_Sweet dreams and good night._ - The Alakazam returned the book to the proper shelf before silently leaving the library.

" You okay? What are you stressed about? The usual worries?" Sal asked gently, and Mewtwo sighed, allowing an arm to rest on the sofa behind Sal.

- _I spoke to Alakazam about a great deal of it, _- he said, picking up his book and beginning to read.

" Do you feel any better?" Sal asked. " I'm getting a lot of mixed emotions from you right now."

-_It did help, but I am not certain that I understand everything that he told me. But I will trust in your statement. _-

"What statement? I'm only a human, I don't remember things like you do."

- _Ah, I keep forgetting. You said that we would learn the answers to my questions when we become strong. Perhaps that has something to do with what Alakazam said,_ - he mused softly. - _Why are you still awake? You should be in bed._ -

" So should you," she countered, laying her head on his chest, and Mewtwo jumped, startled. "I've gotten too used to sleeping beside you. Now you weren't there and I couldn't sleep. Rose isn't cuddly, although she means well, and Xanthos always wants to sleep _on_ me," she complained. Mewtwo chuckled, and continued reading. He never would have believed it six months ago, but he was actually enjoying the warm sensation of Sal snuggled up next to him.

- _You owe me an ear scratching,_ - he reminded her. Sal reached up and began scratching his ears, but she was clearly tired, and it showed in her half-hearted attempt. - _That does not count,_ - he said in mock annoyance as her hand fell away. He finished the story he was reading, and glanced down. Sal was fast asleep with her head against his chest, and Mewtwo set the book on the table and repositioned himself on the couch, being careful not to wake his Trainer. He carefully undid her hair and tugged it free of the elastic that she always used to tie it back with. He brushed the stray strands back from her face, and she coughed in her sleep. Mewtwo noticed a rattling in her chest that he didn't like the sound of - Sal appeared to be coming down with a cold. He reached over with his left hand and turned out the lamp beside him, then with a wave of his hand, turned off all the other lights in the library. He had drank at least four cups of chamomile tea during the course of the day, and the herb was finally having the effect that he had hoped for. He closed his eyes, breathing in the scent of Sal's hair as it tickled his nose lightly. She collapsed into a coughing fit that wracked her body so fiercely Mewtwo was amazed that she didn't wake, and despite what he knew medically, that it was just a common cold, most likely acquired from the cold and traveling across the ocean in the middle of winter, another part of him still worried that something was very wrong.

- _I am not certain what I would do, if anything were to happen to you,_ - Mewtwo whispered, wrapping his arms around her. _- I do care for you. Alakazam was right, our meeting was no accident. _- He closed his eyes and silently let sleep claim him.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Mewtwo awoke feeling disoriented and a bit stiff and as he became aware of his surroundings, he realized that the library couch - although comfortable - was not the best place to spend the night, especially with Sal lying on top of him. He carefully extracted himself from the couch, noticing that someone had thrown a light blanket over the both of them. Rose's pink aura was the brightest hue infused in the tan cloth, tipping the psychic off as to who had covered them last night. Mewtwo grabbed a couch cushion and put it under his sleeping Trainer's head, brushing her silvery hair out of her face. He left her to sleep and wandered into the kitchen. He sought out Anaca with his mind, and noted that the girl was just starting to wake up. Perfect. The psychic began to rummage through the kitchen, pulling out what he needed.

" Morning Mewtwo," Xanthos greeted his teammate as he padded through the room and settled himself near the bottom of the stairs as he noticed what the psychic was doing. " Better get that going before Anaca comes down. " The two males chuckled at the thought of their hosts reaction. Mewtwo began preparing breakfast and Xanthos snoozed where he lay.

"Good morning gentlemen," a smooth Pokémon alto greeted them. " I could smell your cooking all over the house."

"Good morning Rose," the pair said almost simultaneously, as Xanthos cracked open a gold and red eye.

" Pancakes and sausage with fruit," she said nodding in approval as she studied what her teammate was preparing.

- _Can you set the fruit and everything else I have on that counter there on the table for me please? _- Mewtwo asked her. - _I ask simply because you are bipedal and have something vaguely resembling hands._-

Rose cautiously grasped the items in her strong pincers and carried them off to the table. At Mewtwo's request, the Scizor went off to go wake Sal, and as the girl came in, Mewtwo had just finished insuring that everything was in its place. She still looked sleepy as she came in, her hair frizzy and disheveled.

"Aww, thanks Mewtwo," Sal said, hugging him as she came over, her voice still hoarse.

.

- _You are welcome, _- he replied, kissing the top of her head. -_Henry is coming now, I just called him. He seemed a bit surprised, but I am unaware if it was because I sought out his mind from an entirely different part of the house, or because I made breakfast. _-

" 'Kay," Sal said, and stood up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek, but only managed the underside of his jaw. Mewtwo bowed his head slightly as Sal complained that he was too tall, and Xanthos chuckled. The Luxray's ears twitched as he heard the door open.

" Xanthos!" Several voices cried out at once, and the Luxray mentally and physically braced himself as seven Eevee came charging down the stairs at him, as the others laughed. " Hey Anaca, everybody's up already!" one of the Eevee called out and Anaca's eyes widened as Sal poked her head around the corner to ensure that the little Pokémon was understood.

" Oh my goodness, please don't tell me I've slept that late!" Anaca cried.

" Anaca, it's only a quarter to seven, I'm a Trainer, remember? My team and I are always fed and ready to head out by eight."

"But you aren't going anywhere!" Anaca said. " And I was going to make breakfast," she continued hurrying down the stairs. She suddenly spotted Henry as he came into the kitchen from the other entrance near the dining room. " Oh and even Henry's awake, Sal what on earth are you doing to me?"

- _Sal just awoke recently,_ - Mewtwo defended his Trainer. - _I on the other hand, have been up since five thirty with the concept that for one morning while I am here, you will not be slaving away in a hot kitchen._ -

" Oh, Mewtwo you didn't-" Anaca began, but Mewtwo cut her off.

- _I did. Now you are going to come in here and eat breakfast with us. I can do this the easy way or the hard way. _-

Anaca was silent, and she fixed Mewtwo with a glare that seemed to say, "I'm the host and I make the food, dammit."

"She picked the hard way," Sal told Henry, and tsked softly.

No sooner than Sal said it than Mewtwo strode over to Anaca, picked her up, and carried her kicking and screaming over to a pretty looking table arrangement that the psychic had organized for them. He unceremoniously put her firmly in her chair, just as she gathered up the nerve to whack him hard and yell at him to put her down. Sal and Henry were absolutely breathless with laughter, as were Sal's Pokémon, and it took them a few moments to calm down.

" As someone who's known Mewtwo for many years now, let me say that you cannot argue with him Anaca," Rose said. She knew that the girl wouldn't understand her as Sal did, but she still addressed her host nevertheless.

"Interesting how this place has gotten noisier with you and your team around, Sal," Henry said good-naturedly and Sal grinned.

" My friend James and his friend Jessie's Meowth both say that I need to come with him when his parents drag him back to Viridian, " Sal said. "Justa keep things interestin' " Sal said, imitating Meowth's Brooklyn-esque drawl as she sat down. Mewtwo doubled over, laughing so hard that the only laughter they could hear from him was his psychic voice - his actual laughter was silent. " You alright ova there Mewtwo, ya look like you could use some air," Sal said in her Meowth voice. " My friend Jessie's Meowth is from Celadon, so he sounds something like that," she said to Henry and Anaca, who were also grinning.

"Well I don't know your friend, but I can certainly say that your Celadon accent is perfect," Henry said, still grinning.

"Thank you," Sal said.

As their meal drew to a close, they began to go their separate ways and as Henry was leaving the dining room, Sal's PokéGear rang. Realizing who it was, she picked it up on the first ring.

"Hey Sal," James greeted her. " How's it going? "

Sal gave a mile wide grin before answering. " Not too shabby, Jimmy 'ol boy, 'ol pal 'o mine." Sal said in her Meowth voice. " Although Mewtwo ova here is about ta have a coniptipton fit," Sal said, purposely mispronouncing 'conniption.'

" What's so funny, Jimmy?" the real Meowth asked James from in the background as James began to laugh as well

" Nothing, whatdaya you talkin' about? " Sal said in her Meowth voice again, and Meowth tried to protest in between laughing fits.

" Aw c'mon that was good right?" Sal said.

" Okay, ya got talent kid, I'll give ya that," Meowth said. " Where are ya now?"

" Haddelle Pokémon Hatchery on Route 38," Sal said.

" I think I heard about that place from Jessie," James said. " Jess, Sal's on the phone!" he called to the redhead and then turned his attention back to Sal. " You the only houseguest?" he asked, curious.

"No, a friend of the Haddelle's, Henry Winthrop is here too, helping out. "

"Henry Winthrop! I haven't heard of him in ages!" James exclaimed.

"You know him?" Sal asked.

"Henry was just a little boy then, but I know his father, we met during one of those upscale dinner parties that my mother would drag me to," James said. " It was really the only good thing about those parties, but tell young Henry I said hello, will you?"

" Sure, " Sal said. After that, Jessie got ahold of the phone, and after a few minutes, Sal ended the conversation.

As she looked up, she saw Mewtwo in the doorway, seeming somewhat distressed.

- _May I talk with you, alone?_ - Mewtwo asked. - _I need…your advice_. -

"You, the great Legendary Mewtwo need advice from a mere mortal like me?" Sal said in a joking manner. " Let's go outside. Rose went to go help Anaca right? And Xanthos is keeping an eye on the Eevee?" Mewtwo nodded.

They stepped out into the brisk, cold air. _-Henry's story at dinner last night…_- Mewtwo began.

" That was you, huh?"

- _Yes._ - Mewtwo took Sal's hand in his own and guided her hand to his waist, where a thick scar could be felt beneath his fur. - _This is one of scars he gave me for failing him in that mission, _- he said.

" Where else?" Sal demanded, her eyes dark with fury towards the Rocket boss.

Mewtwo reluctantly showed her the rest of them, over twenty marks in various places. - _That was simply from that night…He did not care where his whip hit me, the more it hurt, the more pleasure it gave him,_ - Mewtwo trembled and Sal pulled him to her, reaching up to stroke his head, not sure how to comfort him other than to keep him close, keep him safe, even from his own demons.

" Why was he after Henry?" Sal said.

- _Revenge. _- Mewtwo answered. -_He was angry at the Winthrops for some reason, and he wanted retribution. He ordered me to kill him_. - Mewtwo took a rasping breath. - _I had killed people for him before, but they were all power hungry executives who could usurp him. They were all horrible people and many would say that they deserved to die, but not in the way he liked me to kill them, _- Mewtwo whispered. He sank to the ground, and Sal moved down with him.

" What did he make you do?" Sal whispered.

- _I do not want to tell you._ - Mewtwo said, his voice almost a whimper.

" Mewtwo..."

- _He,_ - Mewtwo's mental voice faltered. - _He made me destroy their minds. He forced me to leech their memories out of them and take them upon myself, as I destroyed their minds. I saw all their worst nightmares and more through their eyes, all their agony, as I stripped them of themselves, and I felt their pain as if it was my own. Sometimes he would let me leave them as drooling vegetables for a while, just long enough for the police to find, before he made me kill them. Henry was just a boy... He had done nothing to deserve death, especially not that. I am a monster. _-

" No, no, no, no, no, shhhhh," Sal held him as tightly as she could, rocking gently, and Mewtwo moved with her, his whole body shaking with emotion. " You didn't kill him, you saved him," she said, " You did what you could then."

-_He would bring me people that had been abused, and force me to take on their memories, after that as punishment, or for his own pleasure. So many people with so many horrible experiences, I sometimes forget that they are not mine. Rape, assault, memories of war, executions, destruction and death - nothing but the evil that humans can create. _- He took another gasping breath. - _And Henry most likely thinks that I believe that he's accusing me. It was I who appeared before him. What do I do?_ -

" Just go and tell him. Tell him it was you, how you were created into servitude by Team Rocket and were trapped for a long time," she said. "But try to calm down first, okay? I love you and seeing you like this makes me want to kill Giovanni myself." Sal said.

- _Love?_ - Mewtwo shook his head. - _I do not understand_. -

"Nobody really does," Sal said. She wasn't certain how she could explain it to him in words, because love was such a rare thing for Pokémon. " But maybe I can put this in a way you can understand. C'mon," she said, putting her arm around the middle of his back.

"Hey Anaca, do you have a sec?" Sal asked her as she came in with Mewtwo in tow.

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Well," Sal said nervously " do you have any TM's here?"

"Yes, for the clients," she said slowly, her tone a little guarded.

"I'm not just asking for a powerful TM," Sal said, frustrated. " If I wanted a powerful TM I could go and buy a Hyper Beam TM in Goldenrod, but I don't care, it's just that the one I want is really hard to find now this time of year. I can pay you. "

" Wait, hold on what TM is it?" Anaca asked.

" TM27," Sal answered and Anaca frowned, as did Mewtwo.

- _I don't remember a TM27_, - Mewtwo said, - _But I've only memorized the old TM's. _-

" Hang on, let me look it up, " Anaca said. The other two followed her to a large bookcase where hundreds of copies of TM's and even a full set of HM's were stored. Anaca pulled out a large black book out from the shelf that read " Technical and Hidden Machines: A Complete Guide to Moves, 4th Edition by Dr. Al Technia."

Anaca flipped through the book until she found the TM's entry and read it quietly. While most people would only stop after reading simply what the move did, Anaca read for several minutes, but Sal didn't mind. The move she wanted was well known for the positive psychological effect it had on Pokémon, and she couldn't believe that she hadn't thought of using it to help Mewtwo sooner.

" Sorry I got carried away, " Anaca said, snapping the large book shut. She put it away and pulled the TM from a shelf. The case was dusty, but the disk-like TM was in perfect condition and Sal began to rummage through her pockets for her wallet.

"Don't you dare try to pay me for that," Anaca said.

Sal blinked. Anaca really was a true friend. She pulled Anaca into a sudden hug, gritting her teeth and bearing the slight pain that spasmed through her as a result. Even clothes wouldn't protect her from such a strong type of bodily contact. She supposed that her own feelings were being warped and amplified by Mewtwo's own mood - the distinction between what emotions belonged to which one of them was blurred at the moment. "Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Anaca said.

Sal led Mewtwo out onto the grass. "TM 27 is a move called Return," Sal said. Mewtwo looked a bit confused so Sal elaborated, knowing that he was only taught about old TM's. " Return is a move that grows more powerful the stronger the bond between the Trainer and their Pokémon. " Sal said. She held out the disk, and Mewtwo bowed his head, letting the disk touch his forehead. It glowed white for a moment before becoming dull and useless as Mewtwo absorbed it's power.

" I'm not a Pokémon, so I don't really know how Pokémon learn completely new moves, but from what I've heard, you're supposed to think about how you feel about me," Sal said, a bit unsure of herself, but Mewtwo nodded. She shivered, and he noticed this.

- _Go inside,_ - he told her. _- I will talk to Henry, and I also want to at least get a fundamental idea of how this move works. It is a physical move, so it might not be my best. _-

" You might surprise yourself, " Sal said before leaving for the house as he requested. She knew that Mewtwo didn't like to be watched when he was working on a move either, so she left him alone.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

It was particularly sunny that day, Anaca and her company had decided to have lunch outside, almost like a picnic. All of their Pokémon were also eating with them, all except for Mewtwo, who was too preoccupied in the training part of the hatchery to practice his new move, and Alakazam, who had gone off to help Anaca. The hatchery worker had already left to go and train some Pokémon, which left Sal and Henry sitting on the blanket that had been brought. The man was finishing off a deli wrap, while Sal was picking at some melon with her fork. The Pokémon were happily indulging in bowls filled with assorted fruit and vegetables.

Henry's Pokémon had been relatively quiet, and Sal felt a little bit awkward. She was used to Pokémon being lively and ready to be social, but from what she had heard from Alakazam the night prior, the Pokémon were probably used to being picked on and harassed just as much as Henry was, so they would keep much to themselves. She could relate, and she quietly thought back to her own days of the torment that had been public school. It had become so bad that she had begged her mother to allow her to be put in a homeschooling program.

Henry's team was very quiet, but they had a sense of strong silence to them, rather than a weak one. Sal sensed their bonds were very close, even Ninetales, who seemed to be the more distant of the group. Henry himself was rather quiet after Anaca left, but rightfully so, as he was looking through a PDA with his free hand.

Sal perked up as she heard his Pokémon start to speak. As usual, she looked away to not let on that she understood them.

"Who's the weird girl?" Henry's Raichu had a mild orange aura, and he faced the Poliwrath. The Pokémon stuffed a piece of melon in his mouth. "Was she the one Henry called you to battle?"

"Yeah…" the Poliwrath's voice was low and booming and his aura was a vibrant aquamarine. "But you know how Henry is with girls. He paired me because she had that electric type over there. Forgot his name. I forgot her name, too."

"She's probably one of those spoiled rich girls that we saw come to the graduation. And she looks weird, too. " Sal frowned. She was used to humans thinking that she was strange, but somehow hearing a Pokémon say it hurt a bit more. "Hey, Skarmory!" the Raichu flicked his sharp tail towards the bird-like Pokémon. The steel type looked up expectantly. "Do you remember if she was one of the stupid girls at the graduation?"

"I don't think so." The Skarmory squawked, his red aura pulsing calmly. "I've never seen her. She doesn't look rich."

"That's what I thought!" the Raichu's cheeks then started to spark.

"Hey… looks like your electricity is building up…" the Poliwrath observed.

"Discharge! Discharge before you shock someone!" Skarmory replied. It was sound advice in Sal's opinion. She thought about it for a bit and realized that she had never had to remind Xan about discharging. It was the one thing aside from battling that he didn't mess around with.

"I don't need to discharge! I'm fine!" the electric type Pokémon insisted. He brought up a piece of corn on the cob, balancing it with his paws. His tiny nose then started to twitch, and he made a few short, shallow breaths. Not even a moment later did the Pokémon sneeze. "CHU!" he squealed. The electric bolt of energy then went to the two closest to him: Poliwrath, and Xanthos. The water-type howled in protest, falling back and thumping on the ground, fried as a pancake. The corn on the cob was then cooked and it burst into popcorn-like bits. It didn't really affect Xanthos, though. The Luxray planted his feet firmly on the ground and channeled the electricity so that no one would be hurt, shaking himself a little bit before curling back onto the ground. But Rose, who was occupied with eating, immediately reacted.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" She raised up her pincers. " Your kind have enough electrical power to easily kill a human! Be more careful!"

"Raichu!" Henry's jaw dropped. "What was the meaning of that? You be nice!"

"He didn't mean it!" Sal burst. She put her hand on Rose and stroked her to get the Scizor to calm down. "He just forgot to discharge!"

"How do you…" the man trailed off. "…Wait, are you a psychic that can understand Pokémon?"

"Yeah, and that's all it was," She assured him. "He didn't mean it…" She knew it was still a rather serious situation, but she didn't want Raichu to get into too much trouble over it.

"Well either way," Henry crossed his arms, looking towards his Electric type. "Raichu knows better than to go without discharging. You apologize."

"Well excuse me for wanting to eat!" Raichu crossed his arms. "Sorry…"

"It's all cool, man," Xanthos wagged his tail a little. "It's all cool!" He stepped a bit closer to the other Electric type and muttered, " Be careful man, electricity's dangerous stuff to humans, they can't take it as well as Pokémon can."

"Raichu said he's sorry, but he just wanted to eat," Sal translated.

"Well, I don't blame him. Raichu's favorite food is melon." Henry chuckled.

"Wait, so you can understand us?" Raichu asked. "Then what's your name?"

"Sal," she answered. "And my Luxray is Xanthos, and this Scizor is Rose."

Poliwrath didn't reply. He was too busy eating the freshly made popcorn.

" I'm surprised Mewtwo is not with us, considering we have food," Rose remarked. " He's going to be ravenous when he's finished." She chuckled to herself. " He can have such a one-track mind at times, the male gets so lost in himself."

"Save something for him, huh Rosie?" Sal asked her and the Scizor nodded.

"So you're not one of the mean ladies from the graduation, are you?" the Poliwrath looked towards her.

"Uh… no. I'm from New Bark Town." The girl's gaze softened. She could just see all of those snooty people picking on them, and it made her mad just thinking about it.

"Ha! Remember when I shocked that old fat lady who called me a filthy rat?" Raichu laughed manically to himself. Even Xanthos frowned in disapproval. He was all for jokes, but not on people who were sick or elderly.

Ninetales then looked up from being curled up in a ball next to Henry, and Sal sensed an immediate tension in the air when she locked gazes with the Raichu. "Yes, and that nearly got Henry thrown out of his own graduation party. Are you happy about that, too?" It sounded just like something Mewtwo would say, and Sal noted the Pokémon's fuchsia aura.

"I'm happy that it was nearly and didn't actually happen." The Electric type crossed his arms. "I don't know why Henry goes to those stupid parties. But you're just an old lady and won't have any fun." Sal thought that Raichu should be grateful that Henry lacked the ability to understand him, because he probably wouldn't appreciate the way the Electric type was addressing the elder Ninetales.

"Well this 'old lady' knows that Henry has social obligations. You're lucky he lets you go to things like that with him and not just lock you in your Poké Ball." The Ninetales retorted.

Sensing her powerful psychic abilities, Sal shielded her thoughts to the others and sent a message to Ninetales. -_Ohhh, he's lucky he isn't my Pokémon,_ - she remarked.

"Oh, Henry let him have it. Don't worry. But it is a Raichu's nature to be impulsive."

"A lot of Electric types are, even Xan's a goof off, but not about his electricity, he never shocks people to scare them, his kinda tickles actually."

" Lower charge is always safer," Xanthos said with a nod. " Yo, Raichu, save some of that Hondew you're munchin' on for Mewtwo, wouldja? He's got a thing for them."

Sal grinned." Petayas are his favorites though, and for good reason," she said, knowing that the rare Berry was known to boost Special Attack.

" They are very pleasant," Ninetales agreed, " It's a pity they are toxic to humans."

" There was this mountain in Johto somewhere that Mewtwo said grew the best Petayas..." Sal began.

" Mt. Quena, oh yes!" Rose rolled her eyes in dreamy pleasure as she recalled the mountain where she and Mewtwo had once made their home. " If only you could have seen it Sal, the place was paradise!"

"Oh, you just wait until we get back to the mansion, Ninetales!" Poliwrath chimed in from where he, Xanthos, Raichu and Skarmory had been having another conversation. "It's so beautiful. You'll really love it! You and Skarmory both will! It's even better than the house in Kanto! They have lots of fireplaces…"

"Does it have places to fly?" Skarmory asked.

"Oh, yes! And they have lots of fountains to play in and beautiful flowers to smell!" the Poliwrath sighed and wobbled. "But it's nice here, too…"

"You just like anywhere with a pond or a fountain," the Raichu added.

"That's Water types for you though," Sal said with a smile.

Henry's other Pokémon looked at her strangely. "…Well, that needs some getting used to," the Raichu blinked.

"Aw, you get used to it," Xanthos said. " I think it's pretty cool."

"Hey, you're pretty nice. You like melon?" he offered her one of his own.

"Oh, no thanks…" Sal smiled. "I have my own." - _Hey, Mewtwo, are you coming to get some food? _- she checked on her starter for a moment. - _You're missing all the fun! There are Hondew Berries… _- she said in a singsong voice.

- _And you know it has been proven that they lower special attack!_ - Mewtwo responded. -_Desist from tempting me! _- Sal heard Ninetales chuckle at their conversation. They weren't using private telepathy, just shielding it from non-psychic ears.

-_If only we had Petayas,_ - The fox Pokémon remarked.

-_Ah, do not speak to me of Petayas, I shall be craving them for months now!_ - Mewtwo half moaned, and Sal grinned.

"Wow, being able to talk to Pokémon." Henry shook his head. Sal smiled a bit awkwardly. Her talking to all of the Pokémon must have sounded really strange to him. "That surely gives you an advantage in battle, doesn't it?"

"Meh, not really, but it helps with getting to know them, and for out of battle things, like just taking care of them… I've been meaning to ask you something." Sal was happy that the door for conversation had been opened. "If you're not a Trainer, and you said you were studying to be a doctor, right? So why do you have Pokémon?"

"Oh, simply because my parents got them for me when I was little. Leisure battling. Funny story, actually. Poliwrath, Raichu, and Alakazam were given to me in their first evolutions, fresh from eggs, on my seventh birthday, and my parents commissioned the Haddelles to get them."

"Are they friends?" Sal stroked her Luxray absentmindedly.

"Oh, yes. My parents knew the Haddelles in high school, before any of them were even married. They've kept in touch ever since… Skarmory was given to me from a professor. It was only a year ago, but I had known Skarmory before that because I was put in charge of taking care of him, since the professor liked to use him in class. Ninetales I just happened to stumble by. You could say that she chose me, not the other way around." The young man smiled, and he pet the mentioned Pokémon beside him. Ninetales purred, stretching. "But she is a dear. But now, I don't know what I'm going to do with them. I plan to take a year off from school since I took many pre-college classes, but when I get into the university… I don't know what I'm going to do with them. It will just depend if battling is a past time there, too. But enough about me. What about you? Are you a Trainer?"

"…Yeah. I guess I'm not exactly your average one though ," Sal looked beneath her.

"Alakazam told me that you and Mewtwo met by pure chance. That must have been very thrilling for you, wasn't it?"

Thrilling? Sal didn't know if she'd put it that way, but she would leave Henry with his opinion. She didn't know how much Alakazam told Henry, but she knew that whatever Mewtwo told Alakazam would eventually get to Henry. Not that she wanted to keep secrets.

"Things with Mewtwo are interesting, yeah," Sal nodded. "I still have days where I can't believe he wants to be with me, it's surreal. Mewtwo's kinda funny sometimes, like he gets so caught up in thinking about things that it's almost like he can't focus on what he's doing. He can usually shove whatever it is aside and battle just fine, but he always seems like he has a lot on his mind, " she said.

"Well, everyone can be prone to racing minds. I know that if I have something on my mind, then I can become inattentive to other tasks, sometimes not even sleep well. I don't know how long you've known Mewtwo, but at first, Ninetales was like that after she joined me. When he's thinking, it would be best to give him his space. And when the time is right, just try and talk to him." Sal nodded in agreement.

" Rose isn't your average Scizor either, she has old connections to Mewtwo, and so the two of them are close. I'm her third Trainer, she's had other Trainers before me, Xanthos has too, and they weren't the best of people from what they tell me, except for Rosie's first Trainer, Anthony. We're just a bunch of outcasts really, " she said with a shrug.

""I know it can be tough. I adopted a Walrien when I was at the academy, one that had been abandoned, abducted when he was wild and taken from his pack. I only had him until I was fifteen, and he passed away. I didn't like the fact he was abused, but at least I was able to make his life better for that short time. I am sure they are very fortunate to have you as a Trainer. I wish all Pokemon did." Henry said. His hand then subconsciously went into his pocket, and he blinked for a second as he felt something inside. Sal cocked her eyebrow as he pulled out a shiny silver spoon. Its handle was warped into a corkscrew shape, and decorated with Unknown symbols and her gaze widened. That was a Twistedspoon! They were used by Psychic Pokémon used to make their attacks stronger, and this one was exceptionally decorated. The quality of Twistedspoons varied, and Sal knew that the most valuable ones were made of pure silver and the Unknown symbols were made of onyx, not carved into the metal like the cheaper ones.

"…Huh." The man blinked, puckering his lips in thought and nodding. "This must have been the Twistedspoon I got at graduation…" he shrugged. Without a second thought, he handed it to her. "Mewtwo is a psychic, right? You can use this."

"Wha…" Sal stared at him, thunderstruck as she examined the spoon with both her eyes and her powers, confirming that it was made of real 100% silver and the Unknown symbols were actually onyx. Normal Twistedspoons were such rare items, and this one must cost thousands. Henry was just giving it to her, just like that? Sal couldn't believe it. She couldn't take something like this, she decided and set it back down on the blanket.

"Come on, take it," the man urged.

"Are you… serious?" Sal shook her head as the item was set in her hands.

"Sure, you're a Trainer. It's not like I know many Trainers, anyhow. You could put it to more use than I could. Alakazam already has one of his own."

"…Wow," Sal took the item and fingered at the shiny surface. "Thank you…" she mustered to say, though those words didn't nearly cover it.

"Ah, you're more than welcome, dear," Henry took her gloved hand and kissed the back of it, patting it afterward. Sal blinked for a moment in bewilderment. She wasn't used to such mannerisms from anyone. "I'm sure that it will be put to good use."

"I almost want to give this to Mewtwo for his birthday…" Sal pulled her knees to her chest. "But I think we'll want to have it before then. He mentioned it was February sixth, but with our schedule now, not to mention our budget, I don't know what to do with it. This will… this will be nice."

"Will you still be in Johto by that time?" Henry cocked his head to the side.

"…Yeah. Why?"

"Well then use the Twistedspoon now!" he said matter-of-factly. "You can give it to him, do yourself some good. If you would like, you can come back to my house and I can host him a private dinner party for you! Buffet and all!" he exclaimed, a smile of excitement coming to his face. "I don't have company over that often. And I'm sure that Anaca would be happy to come."

"But… why?" Sal looked up, blinking. "I just met you two days ago, and you're inviting me to your house? Your Pokémon said that you live in a mansion! I- I've done nothing for you…" she was excited to be offered these wonderful gifts, but also very hesitant. No one had been as generous to her as Henry or Anaca had, with the exception of the Elms. Even her own mother hadn't been as giving to her as these two were.

"Do you always need a reason to be nice to someone?" Henry adjusted his glasses.

Sal blinked. Talk about déjà vu.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Mewtwo darted back and forth across the wide field outside. He could run all he liked, but he found that he simply couldn't make the move work. When he was just about to give up and go back inside to Sal, he felt something in him change. He tried to focus on that feeling, and he noticed a dull magenta light flicker around his body. Sal had said that the move was strengthened by the bond between a Pokémon and their Trainer, so Mewtwo focused on the most powerful memory he had of her - the night when he submitted himself to her and created a psychic link between them, a time when he had felt at his weakest, and she had comforted him. He had trusted her then. At that thought the aura around him flared up, dazzling him. Mewtwo barked a laugh of triumph, and shot towards a large boulder that had been his target for the past hour and a half. It shattered as he struck it, and time seemed to slow as he watched the fragments of rock disintegrate around him. Amazed, he came to a stop, looking backwards at the massive trench he had created behind him, the ground still charred and sparking with energy. Anaca might not be happy about that, but there was little he could do to fix it. Retrieving his cape from where it hung on a large tree, he walked away.

Mewtwo found Henry outside, sitting with his back against a large boulder. The psychic swallowed hard, and steeled himself for the conversation lay ahead.

- _Henry._ - The young man jumped a little bit, apparently startled. Mewtwo closed the distance between them as swiftly as he could, and clutched the edges of his cape. He was chilled by more than just the weather though. -_Are you busy?_ - He tilted his head downwards.

"Oh, no, I was simply leisure reading." Henry replied, adjusting the scarf on his neck. "Do you need something? I haven't seen Sal, if you were looking for her."

- _I've been with Sal most of the morning,_ - he replied. - _Actually,_ - he said, hesitating a bit, _- I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private. Is there a chance we could be overheard here?_ - Mewtwo didn't sense any of the others around, but he knew that either Alakazam or Ninetales would be able to hear him even if he masked his telepathy, because those two were psychically bonded to the human.

"Oh, no, good man," Henry shook his head. "Ninetales is about on her own. She has a tendency to like to cuddle up by the fireplace and Anaca has one. She doesn't like the cold. And then Alakazam is in the library…" the human trailed off a bit in thought. "You're not concerned that I think you're the Mewtwo that attacked me, are you? Because I in no way intended to accuse you at the table. Truth be told I regret bringing it up."

- _No, I am not concerned about it Henry, because I know it for a fact._ - Mewtwo said slowly, his mental voice shaking. - _I am that Mewtwo_. -

Henry looked around him uncertainly, smacking his lips, before adjusting his glasses, looking to the ground. Mewtwo held his breath, unsure as to how the human would react.

"So…" the human bit his tongue. "That was you?"

-_Indeed, _- Mewtwo bowed his head to the ground to hide the shame he currently felt.

"I'm not angry…" Henry said slowly. "But why are you telling me this?"

- _When I was sent to you that night, I was under the control of Giovanni and he had given me orders to kill you, all as part of some form of revenge. He was furious, and for a moment I didn't realize he was serious. I had no desire to kill you, you were just a boy_. -

"Indeed I was…" the young man rubbed his arm.

-_I did not recognize you at first. _- Mewtwo said. - _I would have never thought it was you. _- The Pokémon sat on the ground and looked up at Henry. -_I almost failed to believe it until I saw an old picture of you from a school yearbook that Anaca had. You have… surely changed._ -

"Hopefully for the better," Henry gave a gentle smile. "Did Giovanni… did he tell you why, exactly, that you needed to kill me? In a logical aspect, if he had vengeance against my father or mother than why not just kill them? Did he attempt that and fail?"

- _I do not know, perhaps he believed that targeting you would prove more devastating to your parents. _- Mewtwo sighed. - _Returning to him that night was far from pleasant._ - _Although there was at least one positive aspect,_ Mewtwo thought to himself.

"And what was that?" the young man cocked his eyebrow, and Mewtwo realized that he had projected the thought unintentionally. When he finally spoke it was with uncertainty.

-_That apple. You may think of it as a trivial matter, but that was the first apple I ever had… I was used to only bread and water. It was the best thing I had eaten in the years of working with that monster. I still remember how wonderful it tasted to me to this very day._ - The Pokémon looked to the ground. In all that Giovanni had done to him, and in all his rage against humanity, he had forgotten this one act of kindness. Perhaps the incident at New Island would have never come to pass, had he remembered this human. - _I do admire you, Henry. You have a very giving and caring heart, and I sense that in you. Most people of your lifestyle are the complete opposite of that. _- Mewtwo said, thinking of -Damien as he spoke.

"I do thank you for the compliment." Henry said thoughtfully. "But I'm not sure if I can tell you why Giovanni sent you to kill me… The only thing I can think about is that he would have been angry at my father. See, he and my father went out on an expedition many years ago. Literally, my parents were newlyweds when it happened, though they were married awhile before they had me. They were in the tropics of Guyana, and looking for ruins. Quite literally they found an entire, abandoned city, where some native people worshipped Pokémon as gods and holy beings. One of them that they worshipped was Mew. My father and Giovanni found many artifacts, but they went too separate facts. See, after Giovanni gathered all the information he needed, he no longer had interest in the artifacts. So he struck up a deal with my father, that my father could keep all of the artifacts from the city and do with them as he pleased, as long as he would fund Giovanni's projects. For the longest while my father had no problem with this," the young man set his book down and their eyes met. "But then things started getting suspicious. Rumors went about that Giovanni was a part of Team Rocket. Not only a part, but one of their head masters. Of course he denied everything my parents asked him of, but their trust in him was dwindling, as he was taking their money but they never got to see his experiments. They hired a private spy to pose as a Team Rocket member and infiltrated his house, where they confirmed that he was working for Team Rocket. Not only that…" Henry paused for a moment, as if wondering if he should go on. "…Not only that, but they found out he was using their money to fund a project on some ultimate Pokémon project that involved using the DNA of Mew. The spy wasn't able to get much more information after that before he had to leave."

-_Of which I was the end result, the first, _- Mewtwo said.

"I'm still not certain I agree with you." Henry said. " If the rumors are true, and there is a second Mewtwo in Kanto, then that one may be older."

- _There would be no way to know for certain unless we were able to approach it, which is something I lack the ability to do at this moment in time. Perhaps I am simply too impatient_. -

"Mewtwo… Why did you tell me this?" the young man asked the question again. "You simply wanted me to know the truth?"

- _I wanted to…apologize, for everything I have done. I cannot change my past, but I can control my future._ -

"You didn't follow Giovanni willingly, did you?" the man's icy blue eyes cast a soft gaze in his direction. "He made you his lackey, didn't he?"

_-…Yes._ - The Pokémon plucked at the grass beneath him. He swallowed as the worst memories of his final years with the tyrant came flowing back to him, as crystal clear as if they occurred yesterday.

"And if you claim you were the result of his experiment… that is not surprising. I, for one, am glad that you found a way out of there."

- _Only because I destroyed his gym, - Mewtwo said. - And that accursed armor. _- A thought crossed the psychic's mind and he smirked. - _I showed Sal a picture once. I have a great deal of data floating about in cyberspace that I've neglected to deal with in one way or another, but Sal remarked that the armor was the most hideous thing that she had ever seen, and I happily agree with her. _-

"Well, I was a boy when I saw it, and the only thing I could think of was how scary you were. Though it was rather dark out." The young man brushed back his hair. "Mewtwo, I am very grateful that you didn't have me meet my demise, despite that I know that Giovanni must have tortured you, or something along the lines, to make you hate him so much… But I am happy that you are free."

- _As am I,_ - Mewtwo said . -_Now, if you will excuse me, I have a new move to practice, and training to undergo. _-

"Really? What move, if I may ask? " Little was know about Mewtwo as a species, and their moveset hadn't been properly documented yet.

-_Return,_ - Mewtwo answered, and Henry had to smile a bit as the psychic type left him.

Sal decided to go and find Mewtwo, because he hadn't joined them for lunch at all. She found him in the hatchery's exercise room, and looked around. A Hitmonchan was shadowboxing next to a mirror, his fists on autopilot as he watched the other two Pokémon in the room. A Persian was running on one of the treadmills and Mewtwo was using the one beside it. Sal noted that Mewtwo would adjust the setting on his treadmill every time the Persian did, and she suspected that the two of them were racing each other. The Persian finally stumbled and flopped over in exhaustion, his chest heaving, and the starter key was pulled loose from the equipment, the cord being wrapped around the Persian's foreleg.

Mewtwo smirked and adjusted the controls of his treadmill once more. It slowed gradually, and he removed the cord from where it was affixed to his wrist as he took deep, controlled breaths.

"I must admit, I've never seen a Psychic type in such good physical condition," the Hitmonchan remarked. " I am impressed."

-_It is primarily because of her training,_ - Mewtwo said, waving a hand in Sal's direction, and the girl gave a sheepish grin.

"Don't mind me.." Sal said. " I just came in to see if you were hungry," she said to Mewtwo, handing him the food she had saved for him.

-_I am hungry, but I am not quite ready to stop just yet._ - Mewtwo said, setting the food aside.

" Hmm, if that's the case.." The Hitmonchan beckoned Mewtwo over, and Sal watched as the Fighting type explained the fundamentals of boxing to the Psychic type, who listened intently.

" Go ahead and shadowbox a bit for me now, show me what you've learned." He seemed astounded that Mewtwo was such a quick study and walked over to a closet in the corner of the room.

He dug out some worn looking boxing equipment, and showed Mewtwo how to wrap his hands, then handed him a pair of black boxing gloves. "Lemme see what you can do on the bag now," he said, gesturing to the large black punching bag in the corner of the room, next to where Sal was sitting.

" Is there anything I can do to help?" Sal addressed the Hitmonchan.

He blinked in surprise but then said, " Now that you mention it, get behind the bag and hold it for him."

Sal did as she was told, placing her hands on the sides of the bag hesitantly. " Like this?"

" That'll do. Five three minute rounds, at the first bell hit the bag with straight punches as fast and as hard as you can. Left, right hook, left hook," he said and Mewtwo nodded.

The timer started and Sal felt Mewtwo tap the bag lightly with his left fist, before slamming the side of the bag with a right hook that nearly knocked Sal off of her feet.

-_Are you alright? _- Mewtwo asked her.

"I'm okay, I wasn't expecting you to hit that hard," Sal said.

-_Do not be afraid to grasp the bag, I will not hit you,_ - he assured her, and Sal shoved herself against the bag, putting her full weight into keeping it as steady as possible. Mewtwo's punches slammed into the bag again and again, and Sal clenched her teeth as the first bell sounded and Mewtwo pummeled the bag with all his strength. The second bell sounded, and the furious assault stopped. -_You may let go for the moment, Sal,_- Mewtwo said, and the human did so, grimacing. She felt like she had gotten as much of a workout as Mewtwo had.

-_Hitmonchan, I have a question for you. I ask only because it is something Fighting types are often familiar with._ -

"Ask away, and I'll answer as best I can."

-_Long before I met Sal, when I was scarcely a year old, a man who fancied himself my master forced Valdevires on me, and I became addicted to the drug, as well as Accelerosteo and Engocardio. I weaned myself off all of the substances years ago, yet I still am troubled. Could my body have been damaged by such drugs?_ -

Sal blinked. Mewtwo had mentioned that he had been addicted to drugs Giovanni had forced on him, but Mewtwo had never talked to her about them before. Discreetly getting out her PokéGear, she used it to make a note of the drugs Mewtwo had mentioned, in other to look them up later.

"It's possible, but I would not worry unless you notice something is definitely wrong, especially since Engocardio deals with the heart and lungs," Hitmonchan said. " Were there other substances?" he asked hesitantly.

-_Yes,_ - Mewtwo said nervously -_My addictions... amused him_.-

Sal swallowed hard in worry.

" It may be a good idea for you to see a professional, although I do not have anyone in particular I could recommend," Hitmonchan said uneasily, and Mewtwo sighed.

The workout bell sounded, and Mewtwo gestured towards the bag. They began the routine again, the only sounds being the steady rhythm of Mewtwo's punches and Hitmonchan's occasional verbal corrections to Mewtwo about his stance or punching or to keep his guard up. The girl lost herself in the steady rhythm of the exercise, and based on the emotions she was sensing from Mewtwo, as well as the ferocity of his assault, he seemed to be pouring all of his frustrations and anxieties into his workout. By the time they were finished, Sal's arms felt like jelly, and she wasn't sure if it was because of her own exertion or Mewtwo's.

" Most impressive," Hitmonchan said. " You'd be able to match any Fighting type."

-_Thank you for you time. _- Mewtwo said. -_I enjoyed it. _-

Hitmonchan nodded. " It's a good stress reliever. See you around." He raised his red glove in a farewell gesture and left.

-_Are you alright?_ -

" My whole body feels like Jell-o," Sal answered.

Mewtwo came over to her, tossing his gloves on an exercise bench and pulled Sal into an unexpected embrace. -_You fear for me, do you not?_-

" All that stuff Giovanni had you on, it's really bad isn't it?" Sal said, her voice shaking slightly. His body was still quivering with exertion and his fur was uncomfortably damp with sweat.

-_Yes, but I do not want you to fear for me so much. I will be fine, _- Mewtwo murmured.

" I don't know if I believe you," Sal said. " I'm scared," she whispered.

Mewtwo felt as if his heart was tearing itself apart. He now regretted allowing Sal to remain in the room during his discussion with Hitmonchan. -_I... distrust doctors,_- he said slowly. -_But... if it is important to you... then I will go to one... as soon as we can_.-

" That would make me feel a lot better," Sal said. " It'd take a long time to pay off, but at least we would know if there was something wrong with you. Thank you."

Mewtwo hummed in response, and even though he sensed Sal's desire to pull away, he held on to her. -_Do not leave me just yet, please,_ - he said softly. -_I have been thinking of you all day, yet I have not seen you._-

" Yeah, because of Return," Sal said with a grin.

-_Yes, although... _- Mewtwo's voice trailed off. -_I... missed your company today. I cannot recall us being apart like this since I joined you on your journey,_- he said.

" I missed you too," Sal said. Mewtwo relaxed his hold on her and Sal placed her hands on his slender bony shoulders, massaging gently. The muscle was a hard as a rock. "You're so tense," she said.

He purred audibly. -_Mmmm, it hurts, but it is a pleasant kind of pain. My body aches already._ -

" You'll be worse tomorrow," Sal pointed out, and Mewtwo nodded knowingly.

At that moment Mewtwo's stomach growled audibly, and Sal giggled as Mewtwo's face flushed with embarrassment.

As he turned his attention to the food Sal had brought him, the human girl rolled her head around, seeming irritated.

-_Is something wrong?_ -

" My neck has been killing me today, I don't know why."

-_Come here._ -

Sal scooted closer to Mewtwo, and the psychic took her head in his hands. -_I am going to crack your neck. You must relax, or I will hurt you_. -

Sal allowed her head to become limp in his huge hands as he rolled her head back and forth rhythmically. He wrenched her head suddenly, and a loud crack filled the quiet of the room.

"Oww," Sal rolled her neck experimentally. " Wait, that helped!"

-_I have not done the other side yet, let me finish_.- Mewtwo repeated the process, wrenching her head in the opposite direction. -_Is that better?_ -

Sal nodded. " Thank you. We should get out of here, everybody is probably wondering where we are." Mewtwo agreed, and the pair left the training room, Sal leaving to help Anaca, and Mewtwo to have his shower.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Mewtwo headed off to take a shower now that he was done training, and Sal made her way to the kitchen where she found Anaca just beginning to prepare their dinner.

"Hey, would you like any help?" Sal asked her. " I'm not nearly as good a cook as Mewtwo is, but I like cooking."

" Okay, if you really want to," Anaca said.

"So… what can I do?" the young woman put her hands on her hips. Anaca was currently mincing up a lot of potatoes and putting them into a huge pot, and she had come to the end of the bag that she was working on.

The girl shrugged in response, when done with the potatoes, bringing them over to the sink and rinsing them off. "Right now it's a one-man job. Potatoes take the longest to cook and I just need to boil them for about twenty minutes." She poured out the water that was in the pot, and then refilled it to a certain level. Once done, she put it on a propane stove, covered it, and put it on heat. "Do you know how to steam vegetables? I have some green beans you can prep. Fresh. You just need to cut off the ends."

"Ok, Sal said, and walked over to the other counter, where the freshly washed green beans was sitting next to the cutting board. Grabbing a knife of her own, Sal set to work.

"So every time I come here, your parents aren't here," the young woman made conversation. "How do I know you didn't stuff them in the closet when I come?"

"Well, you just come when they're not here," Anaca chuckled a little, taking out a carton of fresh mushrooms that had been brought. She took out another cutting board and went to another counter, and started chopping them. "They were out at a meeting when you came here the first time. Now they're off on their fortieth anniversary."

"I think I remember you telling me about that…" Sal's brain was a little fried, but she remembered the number because of what a feat it was. "So how long will they be gone?"

"A week. Starting last Friday."

"Ah, I see." Sal nodded, continuing to chop the green beans.

"So how are things with Mewtwo now?" the girl asked. "Last time we met you were kinda… edgy, about him."

"Actually, things between us are better than they've ever been," Sal said. -_Mewtwo?_ - She quickly addressed her Pokémon using their private telepathy.

-_Yes?_ -

-_Do you mind if I tell Anaca about our linking... and Amber?_ -

-_No,_ - he said, after a long silence. -_I trust Anaca. You may tell her. I am not certain why but... I would like her to know. -_

-_But you don't know how to tell her._ - Sal said, and sensed Mewtwo's psychic impulse of confirmation across their link. " Sorry Anaca, I just wanted to make sure it was okay with Mewtwo if I talk to you about this," Sal said

" That's fine," Anaca said. " You were saying?"

"When we left you, we went to Olivine City, to challenge the Gym Leader, Jasmine, but she was trying to help the Olivine Lighthouse's Ampharos, because he was really sick," she began. " Cinnawood City, which is on the island across the Whirl Sea, has the best pharmacy in Johto, but since Jasmine couldn't leave that Ampharos all alone, Mewtwo and I flew to Cinnawood."

Sal tensed nervously. It was technically illegal for licensed Trainers to use their Pokémon to transport them to areas that they had never been to before unless it was a Water type ferrying a passenger, and Psychic type Pokémon weren't allowed to use their telekinesis to transport their Trainers at all.

Anaca shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, I know how that's kinda looked down upon. I think it's a stupid rule. But go on."

" Well," Sal said. " We ended up having to spend the night in Cinnawood, at the Pokémon Center. I woke up at like two in the morning, and I'm not sure if it was a psychic impulse, or a regular human one, but I just knew that something was really wrong with Mewtwo. I tried contacting him, but he didn't answer, but I could sense that he was awake, so I got up and went to his room. The Center wasn't crowded, so he got a private room. He didn't answer the door, but it was unlocked, so I went in." Sal took a breath. "I found him crying."

"He was… crying?" the girl blinked. After cutting the mushrooms she reached into a drawer and took out some tinfoil. She used a knife to slit holes in it, and then went over to the oven. "So… he was physically crying. What happened after that?" she opened the broiler and folded the tinfoil over it.

" At first, he yelled at me to get out and leave him alone," she answered. "He telekinetically pushed me backwards into the hall, and I had to use my own powers to fight to get to him. He yelled at me to leave him alone again, but I told him not until he told me what was wrong and he just said, 'They made me forget her' and he just cried. All I could think to do was try to comfort him, but he had never let me do anything like that, every time I'd try to be physically affectionate with him, no matter how small the gesture, he'd go ballistic." She paused a moment to put her green bean stems in a metal container that would be taken out to the compost later. " But I couldn't bear to see him like that, when he's usually so strong minded, so I just got up on the bed in front of him and hugged him, and he didn't fight me. It took him a while to get the whole story out, but when he was a child, still in stasis in the lab where he was made, there was another experiment, a little girl named Amber. She and Mewtwo talked to each other through telepathy and she was his only friend. But something went wrong, and...she died."

And something triggered Mewtwo to remember this?" Anaca cocked her eyebrow. She went over to the refrigerator and took out a plastic bowl that was filled with four steak fillets that had been marinating. She went back over to the oven and bent down, setting them on the broiler and then closing it behind her. She checked on the potatoes, and then looked back, where Sal had finished cutting the green beans. "I'll take that," the teenager said, taking the cutting board with one hand and coming to a cabinet, getting a pot with another and preparing to steam the vegetables. "So what made him remember?" she asked.

" He said it just came to him in a dream. He also said that he thought that he had been remembering bits and pieces ever since he met me, every once in a while, but never understood what those dreams meant. He has chronic insomnia, and when he does sleep, he usually doesn't dream, but when he does it's usually a nightmare."

"I don't know much about dreams," Anaca replied, taking out a pan and putting it on the stove. "But I do know that dreams are the mind's subconscious way of processing everything that happens to us, our thoughts, our emotions and feelings. Often times you might dream of something that was the last thing you thought about or did before you went to bed. I know a lot of times I'll have dreams about the current novel I read before I go to bed. Have you ever tried simply talking about something nice before Mewtwo goes to sleep? That might help out. But if Mewtwo honestly has that much trouble sleeping, then it's not good for his health. You should go to a Pokémon center and get a prescription for a sleep aid. Without dreams and proper rest, the mind can become aimless. Detached, because it can't process things correctly." She took some butter and put a dollop of it onto the pan, turning on the heat. "But other than that, I asked you if things were better, and you said yes, but then you tell me about a rather sad incident… What? Did it bring you closer or something?"

" It did," Sal said with a nod. " He's my best friend, and I love him to death, and he's actually beginning to reciprocate that, it's like he's finally opening up to me."

"Well, that's good. You were telling me how you wanted to have friends…" Anaca waited for the butter to melt, and then threw in the mushrooms. She went to a spice rack and then added in seasoning. "Speaking of which, how are you getting along with Henry? Alakazam said that he really liked you and Mewtwo."

"Pretty well," Sal said, reaching into her pocket and feeling the Twistedspoon there. She pulled it out. "He gave me this. If it wasn't for Mewtwo there's no way I could accept it...Mewtwo's birthday is February 6, and Henry wants to throw Mewtwo a party." she sighed. " \It sounds really nice, but I just don't know...Mewtwo doesn't like celebrating his birthday, because some pretty bad stuff happened on that day, so I was just gonna give him this then and give Mewtwo his space, but..." she looked to Anaca. "What do you think?"

"Eh, that sounds like something Henry would do. Unlike me, he really wants to make friends… But a lot of people just… Don't want to, I guess." She shrugged. "Henry's house is beautiful. I wish it weren't winter right now, because if it were spring, you'd be able to see the garden there… The garden is the most beautiful place I've ever been to," Anaca's voice was soft with reminiscing as she absentmindedly stirred the mushrooms. "It's picturesque, just like a painting. They have so many beautiful flowers, and fruit trees, like apples and pears and peaches… They have beautiful fountains, even a garden maze, and all the flowers attract butterflies and honeybees. And their garden is in different themes, and they have pagodas and statues and benches, even bridges to small streams." She giggled a little bit. "It's beautiful. I remember it from when I was little. But their house is beautiful, too, don't get me wrong. A lot of Victorian influences… His mother is obsessed with Victorian-esque things. But I just remember the garden the most because Henry and I used to play in it all the time as kids. People would actually come there and want to paint it. If Henry offered to throw you a party, it's probably going to one of, if not the most luxurious thing you'll ever do. I say go and do it. You don't have to say it's a birthday party if Mewtwo doesn't like the concept. You could say that it's a… celebration of a good life!"

" Ok, thanks," Sal said. " I'll talk to Mewtwo, maybe I can get him to come around. When we linked, the same night he remembered Amber, I saw a lot of the time when he was alone, and he used to enjoy sneaking into high-end, extravagant places. Maybe if I remind him of that, I can get him to come around to the idea."

" What was it like, the linking? Just out of curiosity," Anaca asked, and Sal thought about it for a moment.

" It's really hard to put into words, but it was...really intense. I've read online stuff other psychics have wrote about their experiences linking and I think ours was abnormal, because Mewtwo was actually undergoing an aura change at that time as well, but to answer your question..." she paused for thought again, trying to put the experience into words. " It felt good...comfortable, in a warm sort of way. It was like my entire life, everything I had ever experienced, was laid bare before him, with all my emotions and thoughts attached and he could just experience it all as I had, and I could do the same with him. In actuality, it only took about ten minutes, but it felt like a eternity."

When she came back in from setting the table, Anaca was bent down at the broiler and checking the steaks, flipping them over and looking at their temperature. "Did you know that steaks cook for fifteen minutes, even after they're taken off the heat?" the girl told her. "My mom was a waitress when she was my age. She lived on a farm and they were kinda poor, so they needed as much money as they could get. But anyways, the most sent back item at the restaurant she worked at was steak and burgers, because it would cook even more before it got to the table. So it's always a good idea to cook the steaks a temperature or two lighter than you want them, so by the time people eat them, they're just right."

"Well… good to know." Sal chuckled.

"I know a lot of random facts. Don't mind my rambling." Anaca got up. "Hey, can you get some evaporated milk? It's on the bottom cabinet, to the left of the refrigerator." She took the mashed potatoes and poured out the water to boil them. She grabbed a mashing tool and started to squish it. Sal took the can and opened it up with the pop tab on it, and the teenager poured the whole thing into the mixture and continued to fluff it. She turned the heat off the broiler when she was done. "Well, we should probably go and tell the boys that dinner is ready. Do you know where Mewtwo is?"

"I know he's inside…" the girl temporarily scanned for him with her powers. "On the upper floor."

The two of them left the kitchen and headed up the stairs to said floor.

"Hey, where are the Eevees?" Anaca asked. "Do you have any idea? I haven't seen them."

"Oh, they're playing with Xanthos." Sal replied.

"Okay, good. At least they're occupied…" the two of them went down the hallway and made a few turns, and at the opened doorways, Anaca went into what appeared to be a den. Sal subconsciously followed her, and the two of them were very quiet as they saw what was before them. Placed on the fluffy rug in front of a fireplace, Ninetales was curled up in a neat little ball, the red lights of the flames gently flickering against her golden coat. And with her was Henry, who had his arms wrapped around her neck and his head resting on the crook of her waist. The Pokémon's big, fluffy tails were gently wrapped around the young man as a makeshift blanket.

"Aw, dammit," Anaca shook her head. "My mom took the camera," she whispered as softly as she could. "Aren't they cute?"

"Henry didn't strike me as someone to take naps," Sal replied. She took her PokéGear out of her pocket and snapped a quick picture, and forwarded it to Anaca's email address.

"Are you kidding me? He can sleep on command." The girl giggled. Sal stayed at the doorway as the younger of them slowly treaded her way towards the two, bending down next to them. Anaca saw Henry's glasses were resting in his hand. She put her knees on the ground and bent down, taking her hand and brushing his hair out of his face. She craned her head down and kissed him on the cheek. When this didn't wake him up, she tried again, on the forehead. Sal saw Henry shift a little bit at the gesture, and she assumed he woke up.

"Oh… hello, Anaca," he replied in a yawning tone.

"Hey there, Sleeping Beauty," Anaca giggled.

"I must have drifted asleep after brushing Ninetales." Henry stretched.

"I just came to tell you that dinner is ready."

Sal frowned in thought. She knew that Henry and Anaca were just friends, but they were so easygoing with each other, that she couldn't help but contrast it with her experiences with -Damien. The red haired son of Giovanni was as arrogant and overpowering as his father, or so Mewtwo claimed, and Sal wanted to get away from him but it seemed like wherever she went, there he was, considering her his girlfriend, his 'property' and many a time he had tried to force himself upon her. Thank goodness Mewtwo was never far from her, to protect her from the red haired young man, but Sal dreaded that their might come a time when he might catch her alone. She shuddered. She knew that not all guys were like -Damien, and Henry was living proof that not all rich guys were sleazebags like -Damien either, but she still felt trapped by him, like an animal in a cage.

Why couldn't she just have a friend that was normal? Was just close to her and there when she needed them? It was one of the burdens she had as a psychic. She couldn't even touch humans or be around a multitude of them. It was like she was a Pariah…

"Well thank you." Henry replied. "And thank you for not rudely waking me up by tackling me."

"Well I don't weigh seventy pounds anymore, and you're not cubby anymore, so I can't get away with that," Anaca laughed. "And why would I want to disrupt Ninetales?"

"She is so soft…" the man ran his hand along his fur. "Even with a custom made bed, plush as a bed can be, fluffed every day, it's still not as soft as she is."

-_That is partially because you take very good care of me, Henry. Many of my past Trainers did not groom me as often as you. _- Sal heard Ninetales say to him.

"Well, c'mon, sleepy head," the girl helped him up. "I made marinated steak." Anaca then looked towards Sal. "So do you have any idea where Mewtwo might be?" she asked.

Sal nodded. " I'll go get him." She made her way to the hall, when she found Mewtwo heading towards her stiffly. " Sore already?"

-_Indeed. _- Mewtwo replied, his telepathic voice sounding rather tired.

"What on earth have you been doing, Mewtwo?" Anaca came into the hallway and crossed her arms. "You're so tired all of a sudden."

-_I have been using your gym equipment to improve my physical strength,_ - he replied. -_And I am not used to exerting myself in such a way_. -

"Well instead of shooting in the dark," the hatchery worker crossed her arms. "I could come up with an exercise plan for you. You'd just need to tell me what your goals are and in what time. And it would be something you could do any time, without equipment, so you could work out even when you leave here." She subconsciously jumped as Henry came in behind her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, placing his forehead on her shoulder and groaning. "What do you want?" she rolled her eyes.

"I'm tired…" he mumbled.

"Then you can go back to bed and eat dinner cold."

"But I don't wanna!" the young man feigningly whined.

"You are such a baby. Born with a silver spoon in your mouth."

"That's physically impossible."

"Shut up. I'm trying to have an adult conversation, not listen to you whine." Anaca shook her head.

Mewtwo chuckled softly. - _I would appreciate any assistance you could give me Anaca ,_- he said and at Anaca's urging, the group headed off to dinner.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Sal, Mewtwo, Henry and Anaca were all sitting around Anaca's dinner table. The group had just finished eating and were simply relaxing at the moment.

"Hey Anaca," The younger girl gave Sal her attention as she was addressed. "Do you know of any good Pokémon doctors?" Sal figured that a business like the Haddelle's must know at least one doctor.

Anaca grinned a bit at the irony. "My mom's a fully licensed Pokémon doctor," she said, and Mewtwo raised a brow at the news. "But she's away as you can see, and won't be back for a while."

-_Not to abuse your selfless hospitality more than we have already Anaca, but we must leave soon,_ - Mewtwo said. -_I am quite familiar with the mountains of Johto - I lived in the area for a year- and they are a horrid place to be traveling through in the winter. _-

"I don't get it though," Anaca said with a frown. " None of your Pokémon seem as if they need a doctor..."

-_I have some... medical concerns, and although I have a fair amount of knowledge of medicine myself, I believe that I should speak with a physician, to ease both our minds_,- Mewtwo said, turning his gaze to his nervous Trainer as he spoke.

" So Sal, if you and your Pokémon are headed to the mountains of Johto...," Henry smacked his lips, thinking. " ...You'll have to pass through Ecruteak City, so why don't you pay my father a quick visit? He's also a doctor, and I'm certain that he would be able to help."

" Henry..." Sal really wasn't sure how to respond.

-_Thank you._- Mewtwo finished for her.

"Don't mention it," Henry said. "Besides, my parents will be delighted to meet the both of you, as well as Rose and Xanthos." Henry and Anaca exchanged bemused looks at the idea of Henry's parents meeting Sal and her team.

Anaca got up to gather up the plates and serving bowls left over from the meal, and as Sal and Henry made to help her, Mewtwo also stood up stiffly. He raised his hand, his eyes glowing blue, and a white circular container appeared in his hand.

-_Anaca, may I use this?_ - The catlike Pokémon held up the container for the hatchery worker to see.

Sal couldn't make out what Mewtwo had, but Anaca seemed to recognize it instantly. "I don't mind, but are you sure that that one isn't going to be too strong for you?" she asked. " I usually only use that one for heavily armored or larger Pokémon."

-_I will be fine,_ - Mewtwo assured her.- _Sal, will you come with me please?_-

Mystified, Sal followed her Pokémon, and noticed that he wasn't physically moving - he was using his powers to levitate himself wherever he needed to go. He took a slight detour to one of the bathrooms and found a large, clean towel, which he took with him

" Are you ok?" Sal asked him.

-_No, _- he answered, but said no more until he had lead Sal back to the room that served as her room while she was a guest at the hatchery. The room's walls were a pastel green, and a large window faced the east. A few potted plants decorated the room, and a dresser sat against the northern wall. Mewtwo seemed to prefer Sal's guest room over his own private room down with the other Pokémon, and Sal didn't mind him coming here to relax, because it was much quieter.

The Pokémon set the jar he had borrowed from Anaca down on the oak nightstand that matched the dresser, and closed the curtains of the windows against the eastern wall with a flick of his hand. He then spread out the towel over the comforter, and eased himself gingerly onto the bed, laying himself out face down more slowly than normal.

-_That muscle relaxant I borrowed from Anaca,_ - Mewtwo said, gesturing to the container without looking up. -_Apply it, please. _-

" You...want me to give you a massage?" Sal asked, her brow wrinkling.

-_Preferably._ -

" But I'm not a masseuse."

-_Try. I would prefer a pathetic attempt at a massage from you over a deep tissue massage from a paid stranger_, - he said. -_Hmmm, remind me to show you how to perform a deep tissue massage,_- he said, as Sal sat beside where he lay on the bed and grabbed the container.

"Since when are you a masseuse?" Sal asked. "And how much of this do I use?"

-_Since my time on New Island - one can learn many things over the Internet - and just cover me with it, _- Mewtwo answered. Sal opened the container and wrinkled her nose slightly at the blue substance. Even to her human senses, the minty smell of the relaxant was potent, and she realized that it must be overpowering to Mewtwo's keener nose.

She began applying the gooey gel like relaxant to Mewtwo's back, and within seconds her hands felt cold and tingly.

"Whoa, this stuff feels weird," she muttered softly.

-_Only because you have it on your hands. Rub it everywhere please, my lower back, my legs and arms, my tail... My body aches. Press as hard as you can. _-

As Sal finished Mewtwo's lower back, she did as he had asked and pressing hard as she slid her thumbs up along either side of his spine.

-_Mmmm, you are not nearly as terrible at this as you believe yourself to be, _- Mewtwo said. Sal slid her relaxant-covered hands over his cerebral cord and she heard him inhale sharply. -_I did not mean for you to put this there!_ -

" I'm sorry, I didn't know, I didn't think about it. Are you gonna be ok, is that gonna hurt you?"

-_It is my error for neglecting to mention it,_ - Mewtwo said. -_It will not harm me, it is only like the sensation the relaxant leaves on your hands, only stronger because my cerebral cord is far more sensitive. _-

"It's all over your cord now..." Sal frowned. " Wait, maybe..." Starting at the bottom, she began to rub her fingers in tiny circles as softly as she could, allowing the gel to spread over his cord even more.

-_Oh! That... is surprisingly pleasant. I was preparing for it to hurt...-_ Mewtwo said, and began to purr. She rubbed his neck and shoulders and arms before returning to his back and then skipping down to his tail and calves, before working back upwards again. She noticed Mewtwo's purring was a lot louder than it had been before, and his breath had quickened. Gold sparkles flecked his magenta tipped aura.

"Are you okay?"

-_Never better,_ - he answered, sounding oddly breathless. Sal ran her hands down along his spine again, and skipped down to his feet. He hadn't specifically requested it, but sighed happily as she rubbed them.

She then proceeded to rub his shoulders again, but not as intensely as she had been before, moving her hands gently and slowly. Mewtwo's breathing slowed, and although he was still purring, it wasn't as loud as before.

-_You may be finished now, if you'd like,_ - Mewtwo said. -_You did far more than I expected you to, thank you._ -

Sal wrapped her arms about his upper body lovingly, sighing into the now minty scent of his fur. "You don't seem like you want to move," she said with a smile.

- _No, I do not,_ - Mewtwo admitted. -_However, you need your sleep -_ -

" If you don't wanna go, then stay," Sal said. " But I need to get this stuff off of my hands and get ready for bed," she said, and got up reluctantly, grabbing her jamies and heading off into the bathroom. When she came back, Mewtwo had tossed the towel he had been lying on in the clothes hamper in the corner and had made himself comfortable under the thick covers. Sal crawled into bed on the opposite side and rolled over, her back to her Pokémon. "Goodnight," she said softly.

She suddenly felt a warm body press against her own, and Mewtwo unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her. -_Why are you over there? We have slept huddled together on the couch in Pokémon Centers before._ -

"You have sleeping with me lately," Sal relented slowly.

-_Yes, Damien would be furious if he ever knew, _- Mewtwo said deviously, and Sal rolled over to face him, wide eyed.

"Mewtwo!" Her hand flew to her mouth subconsciously. "That is wrong on so many levels!" The psychic only smirked in response.

Mewtwo rolled away from her, chuckling. -_You humans are so very _sensitive_, _- he said.

"You just like to mess with people's heads!" Sal said. Mewtwo nodded in acceptance of her accusation, then turned back over and pulled his Trainer close to him again. " What has gotten into you?" she questioned. " Are you just feeling snuggly or something?"

-_I suppose... I do not quite understand it myself...-_ he said, purring in her ear.

"And yet you didn't want me to even touch you in Violet City, but look at you now," Sal said, grinning in the darkness.

-_How very long ago that was,_ - Mewtwo remarked.

"Anaca and Henry," Sal said softly, turning back to her Pokémon. She placed her head against his chest, listening to his heart. "What I wouldn't give to be normal, just for a little while," she said to him.

-_Well, you know that it is out of the question,_ - the psychic replied. -_So do not dwell on the thought. _-

"I can't help it, though," the human moped a little. "Don't you see them, Mewtwo? How happy they are together? How their auras sparkle and they just can't stop laughing? How- How they can touch each other so casually, and hug and kiss and joke like there's no tomorrow?" she shook her head, sitting up and pulling her knees to her chest. "I can't even hug my own mother without feeling pain…"

-_Burdens come with psychic powers. As they do without them._ -

"More burdens then blessings…" Sal mumbled.

-_Sal, I will say it again: Do not dwell on what could be. It will only cause fantasies for you that are unreachable. _-

"But I just supposed to live my life alone, in seclusion without anyone, without ever getting married someday or having kids? You have it so easy, you can't breed, and that's the whole point of Pokémon mating anyways, so you don't have to worry about it." She rolled away from him, her aura flickering red.

-_Why are you talking about such things?_ - Mewtwo's gaze narrowed. -_How does seeing Anaca and Henry's friendship suddenly cause you talk about marriage? _-

"Because they love each other, Mewtwo!" Sal felt her face starting to get hot, and her eyes starting to burn. "I- I know that we're friends, Mewtwo… but do you know what I would give to have someone love me like that? To care for me so unconditionally, be it friend or even a lover? Do you know what I would give to be normal? I don't know what all you have available to you with this new link… but I would give anything." She shook her head. "…I'd give anything."

-_…You are envious of Anaca, are you not? _- the Pokémon said without a second thought.

"I can't stop myself..." Sal whispered. " I... shouldn't have lashed out at you like that. I'm sorry." She rolled back over to lay her head in the crook of his arm. " Don't you ever, y'know want to be with someone? " she shook her head. " I know Pokémon males look at it differently than guys..."

-_I do not find any need to, no,_ - the Pokémon gave an answer typical to what Sal would expect. -_But I know that many human females have the maternal tendency to want to get married for companionship and nurturing, and to eventually conceive children. You are no exception to that rule. Humans have the need to feel accepted and understood. You are also no exception to that rule. What you are feeling is perfectly natural for humans and what they desire, but I have no way of helping you with those feelings. I do not understand why you are telling me this, but we leave tomorrow. You will no longer have to worry about Henry and Anaca reminding you that you are different._ -

"That doesn't matter, Mewtwo," Sal shook her head. "We're always going to remember them."

-_Well, of course. But I mean be reminded of them._ -

"And we're always going to be reminded of them, too," the female sighed. "Look on the dresser." Mewtwo did so, finding a small package wrapped in tissue paper, tied with a purple thread. He reached over and took it carefully. " Henry gave it to me, and I'm giving it to you. It's a present."

-_A...present?_ - Mewtwo's eyes were wide in shock, and Sal doubted he had ever gotten a present before. -_Thank you._ - He turned the gift in his hands as if it was the most delicate treasure in the world.

" Well, go ahead and open it silly," Sal said with a giggle, and Mewtwo worked at the edge of the gift with his sharp incisors. He then tore at the rest of the paper with his thick clumsy fingers, until he held the Twistedspoon in his hands, it's edges illuminated by the moonlight that seeped through the curtains. The only change Sal had made was to thread a thick black cord through the hole in the top.

-_What… What is this?_ - Mewtwo looked over towards her. -_Do you know how much this is worth? _-

"Yeah, I do…" Sal nodded. "Normally I would wait until your birthday, but I think we'll need it soon."

-_But why did he give this to you? Alakazam could use this._ - The Pokémon fingered the item.

"Because Alakazam has one of his own…" the girl sighed. "It was given to him at his graduation, and he says that he didn't need it, and he wanted you to have it.

-_Sal, do you know what this means?_ - the volume of Mewtwo's voice rose a little. -_This means our battles will be shorter. My attacks will be more powerful. I will be able to gain more experience in less time, and we will be able to advance. I will be able to increase my levels and my psychic powers… This is…- _the Pokémon shook his head. -Th_is is one of the best things to ever happen to us… Alakazam was right…- _The Psychic type allowed his Trainer to thread the cord in between his neck and cerebral cord and tie it there. The spoon thudded against his chest softly, and Mewtwo supposed that he would simply have to become used to it.

"And he didn't stop there," Sal said, propping up her head with her hand. "He also wants to give you a party, when February comes around."

The smile that had spread across Mewtwo's face in his excitement abruptly vanished. - _No. That day is not worth celebrating. -_

" How can you say that?" Sal asked. " How can you not be excited about your birthday?"

-_Because I killed people on that day, Sal! I was not born into this world, I was created through one man's greed. I do not understand why fate keeps me in this world._ - He sighed. - _Aside from the events that surround my creation, it was the money from innocent people like Henry's parents that funded the research to create me. How would they react to finding that their hard earned money was poured into creating a monster such as myself?-_

"You are not a monster," Sal said, holding him close. " What about when you were on New Island? And on your own, traveling through the worlds most famous cities? Goldenrod, Cleladon, Jubilife, Lillycove, Castelia, didn't you like being in places like that? Sneaking into the most extravagant places you could find? You liked it at the time, when you could have and experience extravagant things, and a party at Henry's would be just like that I would think, so why not?"

-_Henry has been awfully generous to you_. - Mewtwo's gaze narrowed. -_If it were not for his aura and his relationship with Anaca, I would say that he is trying to woo you._ -

"C'mon, Mewtwo. I think it would be a great idea." Sal leaned her head on his chest. "You don't have to say that it's in celebration of your birthday. We could say that it's a celebration of your life. It's just… a celebration of the blessings we have and the opportunities you have of being here, regardless of how you came here or what you've done. We can celebrate life because… life is wonderful."

Mewtwo blinked, recognizing the phrase. Before, he had never had a reason to celebrate his life, but now he had found a companion in Sal, and despite his fears, blessings had come from it. He wondered what Amber would think had she been present, but then realized that as a human child herself, she would tell him to go as well. Yet, he still wasn't entirely certain that it was a good idea.

"He promised us that the party would be private," Sal mumbled. "…Do you not trust him? I know that you've probed Anaca's mind, but you haven't probed his… I know you're hesitant to trust people. If you're really that uneasy about it, I'll tell him no. I just…" she let the sentence hang, frustrated.

There was a scratching sound at the door, and then it opened slowly. Xanthos padded into the room, and jumped up to lay on the foot of the bed, crawling under the covers and under Mewtwo's feet to use the Psychic type's thick tail as a pillow.

Rose also poked her head in curiously, then made to leave.

-_Come Rose, stay with us,_ - Mewtwo called to her, and the Scizor turned in surprise. The red armored Pokémon came into the room, giving Mewtwo an odd look upon seeing that he was actually willingly cuddling with their Trainer.

"Who are you," she said slowly, raising her eye patterned pincers, "And what have you done to Mewtwo?"

"It is Mewtwo," Sal said. "He's just feeling snuggly." She giggled as Mewtwo exhaled into her hair.

Xanthos grinned. " It's because of that Return move he learned, it does things like this to Psychic types sometimes. It'll mellow out once he gets a good enough handle on the move, it just makes him a bit clingy that's all," he said with a chuckle as Rose lowered her pincers and came to lay on Mewtwo's other side.

A brief chorus of goodnight's went about the room before Sal and her team allowed themselves to sleep.


End file.
